Students make space vehicle & aircraft!

Chennai-based SRM University students have designed an award-winning space vehicle named 'NAVSHITIZ VAHAK – the carrier of new horizon', capable of orbiting at a distance of around 370 km from the Earth.  This eight member team comprising undergraduate students of aerospace engineering were competing at the Undergraduate Team Space Transportation Design Competition 2011-12, organised by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Securing the third position, the team won a prize of USD 1,000. Virginia and California Universities bagged the first and second positions, respectively.

According to SRM University Vice-Chancellor M Ponnavaikko the student conceptualised design helps in cost reduction of launch and space tourism considerably. The eight team members were Sweety Prakash Pate, Anku Aravind, Jeevraj Hejmady, Joel Alex Roy, Rishabh Bana, Rajdeep Chowdhuri, Ravi Shakya and Sarnavi Mahesh.

Talking of innovation, students of mechanical engineering at Lords Institute of Engineering and Technology, designed a single-seater aircraft for city transport in order to avoid traffic issues. This aircraft could set you flying at an altitude of 1000 ft with a speed above 100 kmph. Part of a project aimed at addressing daily lifestyle problems in the country, this aircraft was designed on campus under the guidance of Dr Mohd Masood, for a budget of about Rs 1 lakh.  It’s fuel efficiency is around 25 km/litres. Researchers are in the process of modifying it and making it commercially viable for production. 

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