Space
Vikko Sat-1
- Context: In a remarkable achievement, 13 Class XI students from Ariyakudi Government Higher Secondary School in Sivagangai district, Tamil Nadu, successfully launched a 600-gram mini satellite named Vikko Sat-1, showcasing notable scientific capability.
About Vikko Sat-1
- Vikko Sat-1 is a lightweight mini satellite weighing 600 grams.
- It was created by a team of Class XI students from Ariyakudi Government Higher Secondary School in Sivagangai district, Tamil Nadu.
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- The satellite was specially built to identify fungal spores in the stratosphere using five advanced sensors.
- Fungal spores are microscopic biological particles that significantly influence agriculture and environmental processes. When these spores travel through the upper atmosphere and eventually settle, they can affect crop health.
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- To gather accurate atmospheric data, the students sent the compact satellite into the stratosphere using a helium balloon.
- The device reached an altitude of 22 km, entering the stratosphere—the second layer of Earth’s atmosphere.
- After completing its mission, the payload safely returned to the ground and was recovered without damage, ensuring that the collected air samples could be properly examined in the school’s control room.
