ANUSAT, the ambitious project of Anna University to enter the league of global technical institutions, has reached its final stages of development, said vice-chancellor D Viswanathan here on Friday.The satellite would be tested in two months and its launch into outer space is expected by September, he added.The micro-satellite, weighing 40 kg, will be the first such sophisticated units designed and fabricated by an Indian institute. The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, is also said to be working on a similar project. Though several technical institutes in the West design and build their own satellites, besides taking part in other projects of their respective national agencies, Indian universities have not yet ventured into this highly complex field. The development of this satellite began in 2002 when the university entered into an agreement with the Indian Space Research Organisation. While the institute was looking for an opportunity to work on space technology, the institute’s alliance with the space agency would also allow it to develop highly skilled manpower. The workhorse of ISRO and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) will be used to put the satellite on its orbit, said sources.Under this Rs 5.5-crore plus project, various departments of the university integrated their capabilities, according to sources. The satellite is said to have a mission life of two years during which it would go around the earth on its orbit at about 700-km altitude. According to the proposal, the control centre would be set up at the MIT campus of the university, while ground stations would be established at Chrompet campus, apart from similar facilities at Bangalore, IIT-Guwahati and Pune University.
