Bangalore, September 9 2019: Salem (Tamil Nadu)-based Sona College of Technology’s Special Electrical and Electronics Drives Division (SPEED) had supplied three products that were part of the Chandrayan-2 mission to the moon, which was a whisker short of total success last week.
They are: fuel mixer motors that mix liquid oxygen with fuel, the Doppler mechanism for Vikram module to guide the laser to ensure smooth landing on the moon and the Sona Mechanical Research team-built Robotic arm for Vikram module for picking sand and rock samples from the moon.
This is not the first time that the Sona College of Technology, has supplied the components to the Indian Space Research Organisation. The pioneering R&D efforts of researchers at Sona College’s SPEED Division have led to the institute supplying ISRO with special purpose BLDC (Brushless DC) motors for Satellites and Rockets as well as Lunar Robot for many earlier space missions.
The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has recognized Sona as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO) and Sona College of Technology, has been doing pioneering research and developing key technologies and components for Indian space missions.
“It was a momentous day for India as ISRO’s scientists got us so near the moon through Chandrayaan-2. Researchers, Professors and doctoral students from Sona College of Technology, Salem should not be disappointed. The moon landing would have been a icing on the cake, but the orbiter is working fine with 8 payloads and we do have the cake. These efforts will go a long way in India’s quest to unravel what is on the moon,” says Chocko Valliappa, Vice Chairman, Sona College of Technology.
In September 2017, Sona College of Technology students, along with students from 5 other colleges, helped launch a student PICO satellite from ISRO facilities.
Courtesy : IndiaTechOnline