Launching a customised satellite aboard a rocket propelled by a helium or hydrogen-powered balloon may sound too big an ambition for a budding start-up.
iHub Robotics, a Kochi-based start-up dedicated to the research and development of various robotics-based products, however, is dreaming no less, as it strives toward developing a prototype of the rocket by this December. The start-up aims at achieving this goal under its subsidiary I Aero Sky India, claimed to be Kerala’s first aerospace start-up.
“Compared to conventional rocketry, which is very costly, we would follow a semi-rocket technology bringing down the cost to a fraction. It would also replace burning of chemical fuel by a helium or hydrogen-powered balloon equipped with a permanent propelling system, a heat compression unit and sensors to detect and control the pressure and temperature build-up causing the balloon to burst. It would be a perfect vehicle for launching commercial, specific-purpose satellite with a payload not exceeding 100kg in the low orbit,” said Athil Krishna, one of the three founders and CEO of iHub Robotics.
Unveiling of Nambi Sat
While developing the rocket remains a goal in the immediate future, the unveiling of the already developed Nambi Sat, a communication satellite, will mark the launch of I Aero Sky India by Minister P. Rajeeve on Saturday. The satellite has been named after the former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientist S. Nambi Narayanan.
I Aero Sky India has been registered with the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), an autonomous agency in the Department of Science.
“Nambi Sat marks our foray into the commercial satellite making market with immense potential. We have approached the ISRO for technical support for its launch. The low orbit satellite can be used for collecting Kerala-specific data with particular significance to disaster management,” said Mr. Krishna.
The data from the satellite will be transmitted to a ground station where it would be processed round the clock and fed it into an artificial intelligence-driven system. The system, capable of comparing the data with previous data, would throw up accurate predictions and timely alerts.
A more advanced version of the Nambi Sat powered by hyper spectral imaging system would be developed in the next phase. The start-up has made a proposal to the State government for using this advanced satellite for disaster management.
Three more robotic products developed by iHub Robotics would be launched by the Minister on Saturday. These include a Restaurant Robot for deployment in hotels and even health-care institutions; Scara, a low-cost robotic arm for industrial purpose; and Spot, a dog robot that can be deployed for defence purposes and hazardous industries.
