Innovation and Design Programme (iDP) students Rachiket Arya (Mechanical Engineering) and Vairavan Ramanathan (Electrical Engineering) participated in the recent ActInSpace space tech start-up hackathon organised by European Space Agency (ESA) and Centre National D’études Spatiales (CNES). They built on their current nanosatellite project work with the Satellite Technology and Research Centre (STAR) and packaged their solution as a viable business, “Printed Propulsion”. The mission of their company is to provide effective, customisable and sustainable thrusters for smallsats at an affordable price and their vision is to equip every smallsat in space with their thrusters. These propulsion devices generate thrust by vapourising water, are 3D-printed and can fit in a wallet.
The team emerged as the Singapore winner and won a trip to Toulouse, France to attend the international round where they were finalists (top 5 out of 510 teams). Additionally, they clinched the Airbus Defence and Space Innovation Prize for their novel idea. They were treated with a visit to the satellite integration facility and a cutting-edge 3D-lab of Airbus in Toulouse, on top of a flight training session on A320 and F32 simulators. Other than the 2 iDP students, the team also comprised Wilbert Biao (Electrical Engineering, NUS), Francis Yeo (Computer Engineering, NUS) and Prince Soni (Tanglin Trust School) who were integral to the team’s success.
(Photo featured in The Straits Times)
