The Centre for Space Research is a recent initiative at NMIT. The objective at the Centre is to carry out Research and Development for Design and Development of a nano-satellite for Earth Observation. The satellite will help with Disaster Management, Low Earth Orbit Communication System, Quantum Satellite Communication, Novel Efficient Telemetry System Development, Space Debris Management and Outer Space Environmental Studies. The research also focuses on innovative sensor development for atmospheric studies, outer space studies through femto-satellite development or satellite-on-chip programs. Through this effort, NMIT would like to participate in ISRO’s capacity development to provide innovative services and trained human resources for national and international space programs.
Under the Centre’s earlier banner of CENTRE FOR SATELLTE research work was done by consortium of seven engineering colleges from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh with NMIT as the lead Centre. This consortium of students and teachers designed, developed and fabricated India’s first Pico – Satellite (weighing 850 gm) with the guidance of ISRO. The Satellite, named as STUDSAT, took to the orbit in July 2010 from Sriharikota aboard the PSLVC – 15 with CARTOSAT 2B and was placed into the orbit of 630km above the earth. and was successfully tracked by the Ground Station NASTRAC at NMIT.
Nitte Amateur SatelliteTracking Centre (NASTRAC) is a ground station, designed and developed by students of NMIT. NASTRAC provides a full duplex communication system and is capable of tracking Amateur Satellites operational in both VHF and UHF frequencies.
NASTRAC is first of its kind in India and received a patent (PATENT NO.1374/CHE/2011).NASTRAC is the first to successfully track and receive first beacon from the other student satellites in India namely SRMSAT and JUGNU and STRAND-1.
