In a first of ISRO's history, it tests its first private satellite

Hyderabad, February 12: For the first time in over five decades of ISRO's history, the space organization has finally opened its satellite center for private sectors and tested two satellites by Indian startups from its UR Rao Satellite Center. The satellites which are bring tested by URSC have been developed by Tamil Nadu based space Kidz India and Syzygy space technologies.

Talking about the development ISRO chief K Sivan said, "More Private Firms will get access to facilities.ISRO is ready to handhold the private sector, especially startups, however, we are currently looking at technological innovations that will help the country to become a global space activities hub."

UNITYsat is a combination of three satellites that have been designed and built by Sriperumbudur based Jeppiaar Institute of Technology, Coimbatore based Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technology and Nagpur based GH Raisoni College of Engineering.

This comes after India opened up its space sector to private players in June last year. This will give the necessary boost required to expand ISRO's horizon in space. As per the ISRO, over the next few months, two private firms Hydrabad based Skyroot Aerospace and Chennai based Agnikul Cosmos will test their engines at Shriharikota spaceport and Thiruvananthapuram rocket center.