Walking down memory lane: “BRAC ONNESHA” NanoSat, 3 years later
By: Tahmin Mahmud
Tags: Science, NASA, Space, Nanotechnology, Spacex

On a fine day in 2016, under the presence of Syed Saad Andaleeb, ex Vice Chancellor, Brac University a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Bracu and KyuTech to foster innovation in Nano-Space technology. Since then Bracu started space and remote sensing research in collaboration with KyuTech and Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO).

Team Centurions: the main engineers to represent Bracu in the BIRDS project

During the 2015-16 session, Abdulla Hil Kafi, Raihana Shams Islam Antara and Maisun Ibn Monowar - these three energetic, ambitious and brave souls collaborated as a team and worked persistently as a part of their master’s degree project (BIRDS) at KyuTech. They not only constructed and operated the prototype of BRAC ONNESHA but also they were accountable for overall project management.

Team Centurions with the ex Vice Chancellor, Syed Saad Andaleeb

Abulla Hil Kafi

His research interest includes space Radiation, earth observation application using machine learning, the satellite of things. Currently, he is working as a Research Associate at the School of Engineering, Brac University. He is also working as Satellite Mission Idea Contest Co-Ordinator of UNICSEC-Global for Bangladesh region.

Find him at LinkedIn, from here: click

Raihana Shams Islam Antara

She is currently working as a Research Associate at the School of Engineering, Brac University and also at the Nano Satellite Technology & Research (NASTER). Now, she can be found teaching at the department of EEE, Bracu.

Find her at LinkedIn, from here: click

ResearchGate profile: click

Maisun Ibn Monowar

He feels comfortable to introduce him as a Satellite Systems Engineer, specializing in Embedded Systems. He’s currently staying in Japan and doing his Ph.D. research.

Find him at LinkedIn, from here: click

Personal website: click

From left Maisun Ibn Monowar, Raihana Shams Islam Antara and Abdulla Hil Kafi

From left Maisun Ibn Monowar, Raihana Shams Islam Antara and Abdulla Hil Kafi

Build and Program

BRAC ONNESHA NanoSat was built, developed and assembled in Japan. You may ask why in Japan and not in Bangladesh. The simple answer is to lack of proper laboratory research and testing equipment. To build a NanoSat you will first need a proper work-friendly research lab where the project undergoes countless testing procedures to ensure it can fight back in the cold atmospheric condition around the celestial orbit. At that time, Japan initiated a joint venture known as The Joint Global Multi-Nation Birds Satellite project (BIRDS) to create a gateway for countries that haven’t started working on Space and Satellite technology. Among four other countries like Ghana, Mongolia, Nigeria alongside Japan, BRAC ONNESHA was an identical nano prototype that participated under the BIRDS-1 program.

Ground Station building, NanoSat Launch & Deployment

Sir Andaleeb received the final project of this NanoSat on 8 February, 2017 from the KyuTech’s president Yuji Oie and Mengu Cho along with the Director of the Laboratory of Spacecraft Environment Interaction Engineering.

Sir Andaleeb receiving BRAC ONNESHA

Prior to the successful journey, a Ground Station was built in the rooftop of building 4, Bracu. It was successfully inaugurated by late Sir Fazle Hasan Abed on 25 May, 2017. The Ground Station was operated and developed by six outstanding students namely Md Mojammel Haque Shourabh, Bijoy Talukder, Sanada Jagati Chayan, Aynul Huda, Jamil Arefin and Arafrat Haque under the rigorous supervision of Dr. Sagor and Dr. Khalil.

BRAC ONNESHA Ground Station Team with Dr. Kahlil and Dr. Sagor

When it comes to a NanoSat Ground Station, we always think of large antenna arrays and dishes. A NanoSat has radio transmitter for up-linking commands. That works just like your mobile phone. When you call someone, that means you’re actually transmitting signals. But, there has to be someone else in the opposite side to hear your voice. Right? The person from the other side actually receives your transmitted signals. Its some sort of a wave phenomena according to Quantum Physics. In this way, when a NanoSat transmits data as an array of signal from the space, a Ground Station is built with an earth-bound Antenna to capture those highly modified radio signals.

Click here if you want to learn more about Satellite Communication.

Md Mojammel Haque Shourabh, being the leader of the BRAC ONNESHA Ground Station project, shared in an interview that it was not an easy task for them when they started to visualize the station. There were several technical equipment that were exported straight from USA. Shourabh further added, as the theory of making a Satellite Ground Station was completely new to Bangladesh, they also had to make a pitch in front of the BTRC representatives and as soon as the representatives were convinced they allowed Bracu to start the construction process. The station is capable of receiving cartographical information from the NanoSat.

The NanoSat was launched as a part of SpaceX CRS-11 mission to the ISS on 3 June, 2017. It was carried by a Falcon 9 rocket and was deployed from the Japanese Kibo module on 7 July 2017, 08:51 UTC.

The overall approximate cost is estimated by US$500,000 for manufacturing and launching.

Missions

Satellite Imagery: Capturing earth surface using highly modified camera

Audio Transmission: Broadcasting National Anthem of Bangladesh from Space

SEL Detection: Identifying any possible cosmic radiation that may disrupt other satellite functions

Atmospheric Drag Measurement: Measuring decay-rate of the CubeSat and estimating lifespan during its mission

Some Unknown Facts of BRAC ONNESHA

Kafi, Antara and Maisun - this team had to work relentlessly in the research lab for nearly 16 hours per day during the development of the project.

It took approximately 14 months to finish developing the NanoSat project.

On 2 June, 2017 the first attempt to launch this NanoSat went into vain due to thunderstorms near Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA.

The Satellite was capable of making a full orbital cycle within every 90 minutes in earth clock.

Foregrounds

Stepping into this new frontier is a matter of great pride for our generation. The motive of this project was to encourage all the young avid engineering students inside Bangladesh to nurture a cluster of skillsets in the field of Space and Satellite Technology. It’s already happening.

Brac University successfully organized space mission contest and 4th BIRDS National Cansat Workshop in last year.

Brac University has two active clubs and the members are apt to fulfill the purpose of this mission namely ROBU and BUEEC. Where students are working so hard and trying unremittingly to cultivate practical engineering skills that they can apply soon in their professional rat race . Recently, the IEEE BRACU SB Chapter has introduced RAS and AESS to precisely focus on Rover challenge and Space Mission Contests. Honorable faculty, Dr. Khalilur Rahman sir has been appointed as an advisor of IEEE RAS Brac SB Chapter and Abdulla H. Kafi sir has been appointed as an advisor to the IEEE AESS Brac Chapter. Students will be able to learn and share practical knowledge under their supervision.