A teenager from India has developed the world's lightest satellite, which is to be launched from a Nasa facility in Wallops Island, US, next month.
The 64g KalamSat was manufactured using 3D printing technology.
According to 18-year old developer Rifath Shaarook, KalamSat mainly seeks to reveal the performance of 3D-printed carbon-fibre.
The satellite will reportedly embark on a 4h mission for a sub-orbital flight, and will operate for nearly 12min in a micro-gravity environment of space.
Shaarook was quoted by BBC as saying: “We designed it completely from scratch.
“It will have a new kind of on-board computer and eight indigenous built-in sensors to measure acceleration, rotation and the magnetosphere of the earth.”
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By GlobalDataNamed after nuclear scientist and former Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam, the satellite has been selected as the winner in the Cubes in Space youth design competition.
The competition was jointly organised by Nasa and I Doodle Learning, with an aim of promoting the development of new space technology, reported Business Standard.
Colorado Space Grant Consortium was also involved in the competition.
Shaarook is currently working as lead scientist at Space Kidz India, an organisation that encourages science and education for local children and teenagers.
At the age of 15, he also built a helium weather balloon as a part of nationwide competition organised for young scientists.
