Zirakpur
27 October 2017
DIVYA AZAD
‘Suresh Naik Centre for excellence in Space science’ which is tricity’s first full scale Think & Space Lab was inaugurated by Prof Suresh Naik, Chairman, International Space Society and Former Group Director, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at te Dikshant Global School, VIP Road campus here.
The formal inauguration was done after a two day workshop on satellite building at the school. The students developed a CanSat which is a simulation of a real satellite, integrated within the volume and shape of a soft drink can. The students guided by experts fitted all the major subsystems found in a satellite, such as power, sensors and a communication system, into this minimal volume. The satellite made by them was launched as part of the inaugural function.
“The centre will equip students to develop skills and knowledge in the areas like Telescope Making, Rocketry,Sky Gazing, Designing, Testing and Launching Satellites of the three main kinds — CanSat, Balloon and Cube Satellites. Technical aspects like Coding, Sensors Interfacing, Designing and Analyzing Data will also be taught by experts.” said Prof Naik after formally inaugurating the Space lab.
“In addition, our school’s ThinkLab and Space Lab is a workspace where young minds can give shape to their ideas through hands-on do-it-yourself mode; and learn innovation skills. Young children will get a chance to work with tools and equipment to understand the concepts of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). ThinkLab would contain educational and learning ‘do it yourself’ kits and equipment on – science, electronics, robotics, open source microcontroller boards, sensors and 3D printers and computers. The main objective of think lab is to foster curiosity, creativity, and imagination in young minds; and inculcate skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing etc.” Said Mitul Dikshit, Chairman, Dikshant Group of Schools.
In the first phase, students will learn to design CanSat satellite, which will be their first practical experience of a real space project. In the next phase, they will learn to design and use balloon satellites to collect live data from an altitude of 1 KM above earth’s surface. In an advanced stage, the range will increase to 30 KM of the stratosphere, which will be done in collaboration with ISRO. The scope of learning is vast. It goes to an extent of working on cube satellite (small satellite of around 10-centimeter cube only) with a specific mission and launch target into space. While learning all this, students will get ample opportunities to meet and interact with experts from ISRO and NASA as audio -video sessions are planned with them apart from faculty visits to campus.
Students will be able to explore the world of space science to the maximum potential, during their school years. This in turn will help them develop an ability to think & act scientifically. It is noteworthy that Dikshant Schools’ have established themselves as frontrunners in Space Science education. While a fixed dome planetarium is there at Dikshant International School, Zirakpur now a full-fledged Space lab has been inaugurated at Dikshant Global School Campus.
