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The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has launched its own space program, approved by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe). This groundbreaking project is named ‘SS AMU SAT’ in honor of AMU’s founder, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.

The project, initiated under the AMU Robo Club, began in November 2021. It involves the development of a Nanosatellite called the SS AMU SAT. This 3U CubeSat has several objectives, including the study of economic growth in India’s poorest districts using satellite imagery. Additionally, it aims to implement an in-house developed image compression technology for faster multimedia transmission. The satellite will also serve as a platform to test various in-house built satellite sub-systems.

The project was submitted to IN-SPACe in January 2023 for approval, registration, frequency allocation, and launch. In September 2023, the Student Satellite Committee, chaired by Dr. P.K. Jain, Director (PMAD), IN-SPACe, reviewed the design and conditionally approved the proposal. The condition was that AMU would sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with IN-SPACe, covering all activities from the development of SS AMU SAT to its launch into the Lower Earth Orbit.

The project is led by a team of students, headed by Poorti Varshney. The team is mentored by Dr. C. A. Prabhakar, Former Project Director at ISRO, and Faraz Ahmad, an alumnus from the 2013 batch. AMU alumni working with ISRO and industrial experts from across the globe have provided technical support for the project.

The tentative launch date for SS AMU SAT is six months from now. This ambitious endeavor marks a significant milestone for AMU as it ventures into the realm of space exploration and satellite technology.

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