The AzaadiSAT-2 mission was not just a satellite launch, it was a story of passion, collaboration, and engineering under pressure. This nanosatellite carried the dreams of 750 schoolgirls across India, who contributed to payload modules under the mentorship of ISRO and Space Kidz India.
For me, it was a deeply personal milestone. As a Physics graduate stepping into the space engineering world, the mission became a defining experience.
Joining the Team
My role began when I became part of the embedded systems engineering effort. Soon, I found myself working on one of the mission’s critical components: developing the ground station the link between Earth and our satellite in orbit.
Mission Work
Role as Embedded Systems Engineer
Being in charge of embedded systems meant solving problems at the intersection of hardware and software. Every signal, every data packet mattered. My primary responsibility was ensuring we could reliably track and communicate with the satellite once it separated from the launch vehicle.
This was not just about writing firmware or hooking up radios it was about resilience, redundancy, and clarity under pressure.
Building the Ground Station
The ground station became my home for months. From configuring antennas to debugging communication protocols, every step was a challenge. We tested against countless failure scenarios:
- Would the link survive noisy conditions?
- How would we calibrate timing with orbital passes?
- Could students across India track signals with TinyGS?
Slowly, our system took shape. Each success, even a test ping, felt monumental.
Final Weeks before Launch
The last few weeks before February 10, 2023 were a blur of sleepless nights and endless checklists. The closer we got to the launch date, the more intense it became. Every line of code, every circuit, every ground test had to be perfect.
It wasn’t just engineering anymore it was ownership. I wasn’t just building systems, I was preparing to hear the heartbeat of a satellite in orbit.
Launch Day
On February 10, 2023 09:18 IST, the SSLV-D2 lifted off from Sriharikota. Watching the rocket pierce the sky was surreal. Years of education, months of preparation, and weeks of non-stop effort condensed into those few minutes of flight.
When the first signals came back, confirming the satellite’s presence in orbit, it was beyond words. Relief, pride, and joy washed over us all.
That moment, when code and circuits transformed into a living link with space, is one I will never forget.
