World's smallest satellite 'KalamSat' built by Indian teens launched by NASA

New Delhi: NASA has successfully launched the world's smallest and lightest satellite built by Indian students from its facility in Wallops Island.

The satellite named after the former President and nuclear scientist Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and is dubbed 'KalamSat' was flown into the space in a NASA sounding rocket on Thursday at around 3pm (IST). 

Weighing just 64grams, the satellite was designed and built by 18-year-old Rifath Sharook along with six other teammates.

In the pictures below tweeted by News Agency ANI, the students were seen rejoicing after the launch of the satellite. Take a look!

Chennai: Students who built the world's smallest satellite, rejoice after its launch. The satellite weighing 64 grams was launched by NASA. pic.twitter.com/ak7NP9KzUO

— ANI (@ANI_news) June 22, 2017

The satellite, which is lighter than a smartphone and made of reinforced carbon fibre polyme, operated for 12 minutes in a micro-gravity environment of space after its flight.

“The main role of the satellite will be to demonstrate the performance of 3D-printed carbon fibre”, Sharook, a 12th-grade student from Tamil Nadu’s Pallapatti town, was quoted as saying earlier.

This is the first time that an Indian student's experiment has been carried out by NASA.