SCIENCE
So, you want to build a satellite? Watch our video to see what’s involved.
Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit.
Discussion Ideas
- Rifath Shaarook, an 18-year-old Indian teenager, just designed Kalam Sat, the world’s lightest satellite. What is a satellite? Take a look at this great article from the good folks at NASA for some help.
- A satellite is any object that orbits around another object. (Learn about orbits here.) Satellites can be natural or artificial.
- Natural satellites include objects such as the Moon, which orbits the Earth, and the Earth itself, which orbits the sun.
- Artificial satellites include any of the thousands of objects launched into orbit from spaceports on Earth. Artificial satellites are used for everything from measuring and tracking weather, to coordinating our GPS, to helping archaeologists identify potential dig sites, to counting penguins, to zooming in on Earth and peering into outer space.
- Kalam Sat will actually have a suborbital spaceflight, meaning it will reach space, but not complete an orbital revolution. It will be operated for about 12 minutes before crashing back to Earth.
- A satellite is any object that orbits around another object. (Learn about orbits here.) Satellites can be natural or artificial.
- What does Kalam Sat do?
- According to Science Alert, “its main objective will be to test the durability of its extremely light, 3D-printed casing” in the microgravity of outer space.
- The Kalam Sat’s casing is made of carbon fiber reinforced polymer, a very strong, light plastic.
- The instruments of the Kalam Sat itself will be housed inside the casing. “It will have a new kind of onboard computer and eight … built-in sensors to measure acceleration, rotation, and the magnetosphere of Earth,” says Shaarook.
- According to Science Alert, “its main objective will be to test the durability of its extremely light, 3D-printed casing” in the microgravity of outer space.
- What makes the Kalam Sat’s casing so intriguing to NASA and the rest of the space community?
- If it works, that casing will be efficient and affordable to both develop and launch. Shaarook and his team created the satellite and its casing for less than $1,561.
TEACHERS TOOLKIT
Science Alert: A Teenager Just Built The World’s Lightest Satellite – And NASA’s Launching It
Quartz: An 18-year-old Indian just may have designed the world’s lightest satellite
Nat Geo: So, You Want to Build a Satellite? video study guide
NASA: What Is a Satellite?
Welldone Rifath for Kalam Sat (is this name inspired by Dr. Abdul Kalam?). But I wonder what could be the other benefits except innovative casing design since the sat cannot orbit more than 12 minutes before crashing back to earth?
Yes! Kalam Sat was named to honor India’s former president and “Missile Man”, A.P.J. Kalam.