Social Welfare Students Launch Atmospheric Probe into Stratosphere

(Judicial Quest News Service)

Loud cheers reverberated the air at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR),
ECIL, Hyderabad at the early hours of Friday as the 15 member team of social welfare
residential educational institutions scripted history by launching ‘SWAEROSAT-1 in a
high altitude balloon around 2.40 am from the TIFR premises. The SWAEROSAT-1 was
launched as a symbol of aspiration of millions of marginalized communities in the
country. The students’ joy knew no bounds as their dream project of sending a near
space atmospheric probe successfully into stratosphere became a reality. The
SWAEROSAT-1 was designed to study cosmic radiation and ozone layer concentration
at various altitudes.  
They all hail from poor families whose parents work as daily wage labourers, masons,
auto drivers, construction workers, vegetable vendors and roadside tea sellers. But,
neither their poverty nor their humble family background prevented these child prodigies
dreaming of becoming space scientists in future.  
An elated team member Prasanna Lakshmi, who is studying 9 th class at social welfare
residential school Isnapur said, “I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would get
an opportunity to design a space atmospheric probe at a very young age. I feel that this
is once in a lifetime opportunity and I am fortunate to be a part of the social welfare
educational institutions”.
Another team member J Divya from Gowlidoddi college said “I was thrilled when I saw
our payload taking off majestically without technical glitches. My aim is to become a
space scientist and make the Indian nation proud” .

Minister for Welfare Koppula Eshwar congratulated the students for their remarkable
scientific endeavour and making the state of Telangana proud.
 Dr RS Praveen Kumar, secretary, TSWREIS, who was present at the launch site said,
“this is a rare feat in the history of TSWREIS and perhaps for the first time in India, the
students of social welfare schools of Telangana launched their tiny payload into the
stratosphere. Immensely grateful to the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and the
Minister for Welfare Koppula Eshwar for this historic opportunity under the KG-PG
Mission’. We are thankful to Dr DK Ojha, Chairperson and B Suneel Kumar, Scientist-in-
Charge, TIFR Balloon Facility for this opportunity, Secretary further said.  The team
members were mentored and trained by captain Anil Kumar and Sujay Sreedhar of
Swaero-Sapiens Automation Solutions, Hyderabad.
 
Technical Details
Balloon reached 26 kms altitude and recorded the data throughout the flight. The flight
lasted for about four hours.
Objective of the mission is to study about harmful radiations and also to measure the
concentration the ozone at various altitudes and compare it to the global standards
The entire endeavour was tracked live with GPS from TIFR control centre and the
payload was recovered at Gulburga, Karnataka