Bengaluru: The city-based Dayananda Sagar University (DSU) is set to launch DSAT-1, a student-led satellite mission, aboard Indian Space Research Organisation‘s PSLV-C62 on Monday. Their mission will be enabled end to end by Dhruva Space under its Polaris Access-1 (PA-1) programme.

“Developed with the Atal Innovation Centre–Dayananda Sagar University (AIC-DSU) — established in partnership with Niti Aayog through a Rs 10-crore grant — DSAT-1 delivers store-and-forward message relay capability over amateur radio frequency bands,” the university said Sunday.

During satellite passes, short text messages will be uplinked from DSU’s on-campus ground station, established and commissioned by Dhruva Space, securely stored onboard the satellite, and relayed during subsequent passes. This enables resilient, low-bandwidth communications under real orbital and operational conditions.

The satellite is built on Dhruva Space’s 0.5U P-DoT platform, which was space-qualified during the company’s Thybolt mission in 2022, and will be deployed in orbit using Dhruva Space’s flight-proven DSOD-1U separation system. Preparation for launch has followed industry-grade workflows, including subsystem verification, interface testing, integration rehearsals, and mission readiness reviews.

DSU chancellor Hemachandra Sagar said: “We’re immensely proud of our students and faculty whose dedication has brought DSAT-1 from concept to the threshold of orbit. This mission exemplifies hands-on learning and innovation in action, and we are grateful to Isro for providing the launch platform and to Dhruva Space… DSAT-1 stands as a testament to Karnataka’s forward-looking space policy 2024-29, demonstrating how state-level initiatives can foster local expertise, institutional capability, and global-standard satellite missions.”

D Premachandra Sagar, pro-chancellor, DSU, said DSAT-1 is more than a student satellite. “It’s a foundational brick in India’s emerging space ecosystem. Missions like DSAT-1 build hands-on expertise, strengthen institutional capability, and contribute to India’s long-term goal of a robust, self-reliant space infrastructure that underpins national development,” he said.

Following the launch, DSU students will independently manage mission operations from the university’s ground station. Data generated during the mission will support DSU’s ongoing work in satellite communications, mission operations, and applied space engineering education — building sustained, in-house space tech capability at the university.

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