Govt. school students in Karaikudi launch satellite to detect fungi in atmosphere

Government school students near Karaikudi successfully launched a small-scale satellite to detect fungi in the second layer of the atmosphere.

The project was born out of a concern that fungi spreading in the upper atmosphere could severely impact agriculture if they descend to earth, said the teachers.

To protect farming by identifying these threats in advance, Class XI students from the Ariyakudi Government Higher Secondary School in Sivaganga district—Vishnu, Bipin Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Harishwar, Mithun, Muthukaruppan, Rashid Ahmed, Ashiq Rahman, Muthukumar, Someshwar, Abhimanyu, Harikaran, and Pavendhan—decided to take action.

The students developed a mini-satellite weighing 600 grams. It was equipped with five sensors and a specialised adhesive surface designed to capture fungal spores.

On Friday, the satellite was launched using a helium balloon in the presence of Minister for Co-operation KR. Periakaruppan. It travelled 22 km high, reaching the stratosphere (the second layer of the atmosphere).

Using the onboard sensors, the device identified fungi, which adhered to the satellite’s surface before it returned to Earth. The entire mission was monitored from a control room established at the school.

The students’ feat was lauded by the Minister and they also received a congratulatory video message from renowned scientist Mylswamy Annadurai.

“It is difficult to eradicate fungi once they suddenly attack crops. Therefore, we are going to study the fungi brought back from the stratosphere. We will analyse how potent they are and whether they have the potential to hit earth and damage agriculture. This will be highly beneficial for farmers,” said the teachers.