VSSUT students’ innovation enter Limca Record

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Bhubaneswar: A group of 30 students of Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) have added yet another laurel to their envious list of achievement. The VSLV project of the varsity’s 0Idea Innovation Cell has entered the Limca Book of Records creating a history of sorts.

In fact, officially these students from VSSUT are the first and only students’ group in India to develop and successfully launch sounding rockets (VSLV) indigenously.

The Limca Book of Records states, “Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology, Burla Dist, Sambalpur, Odisha, is the first and only students’ body in India of engineering undergraduates which has indigenously developed a sounding rocket/launch vehicle – VSLV (VSSUT Satellite Launch Vehicle) 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 – which was successfully fired thrice to 3000 ft, 5200 ft and 12,800 ft (over 3.89 km) respectively.” It goes on to add, “Flight data was collected via onboard avionics and altimeter measured the apogee of the rocket. The data was then translated to create the flight profile. The latest launch was made by a 1.5 m rocket weighing 6 kg at 08:31:53 March 30, 2018 said Debadutta Mishra, who is the mentor of the project.”

According to VSSUT students, their feat has been acknowledged by Vijaya Ghose, the chief editor of Limca Book of Records, and the record will be published by the end of the year, in the upcoming 2019 LBR edition. A certificate will be issued thereafter.”

The scrutiny process of the project took over 6 months to complete. During this period many examinations needed to be verified about its authenticity. Finally, the team’s achievement found place in the record, and was recognised by the publishers – CocaCola & Hackett.         Earlier, the same team found a place in the India Book of Record for the same feat.

Recently, VSSUT students had made mark in the field of Satellite Launch Vehicle when they launched a satellite VSLV MK-III Graviton – which soared over its pinnacle from Mahanadi River Valley at Burla. The 30-member student team led by Jaswasi Jasowant Sahoo, a BTech pre-final year student of chemical engineering, generated the perfect thrust for the light-weight rocket as it reached supersonic speed within one second of its launch.

Interestingly, this was the first student rocket initiative in Asia. It was designed by students of various disciplines – electrical, mechanical and civil engineering departments of VSSUT.

According to reports, the rocket was successfully retrieved by a parachute. VSLV was designed and aimed to measure the silt content of Mahanadi riverbed. The rocket carried a PICO satellite to an altitude of 3.89 km. Thereafter, the rocket and the satellite returned to earth with the help of two separate parachutes. The rocket descended with the help of parachute and was recovered about 1.5 km from its launch point after being carried away by wind.

VSSUT is turning out to be a pioneer in education and technology not only in Odisha, but across the country. This premier institute is currently creating an ecosystem of booming innovation in Odisha.