BANGALORE: The state-of-the-art interactive VSAT Channel of Edusat network of the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), Belgaum was launched by the Governor of Karnataka, His Excellency Sri.T.N.Chaturvedi, on May 28, 2007 at Raj Bhavan, Bangalore today.

121 Engineering colleges are affiliated to VTU, of these 30 were identified as batch-1 colleges to get the VSAT Channel based on the utilization of and response to the current DTH Channel by the colleges and on the location of the colleges. Outgoing VTU VC Dr. K Balaveera Reddy is confident that within the next six months, all the 121 colleges will have the interactive VSAT channel and has requested ISRO to make third channel available to VTU for e-governance and online examinations so the VTU becomes a paperless university.

Since 18 March, 2005, when VTU started their first DTH channel, they have conducted 2,121 live sessions covering 46 subjects, and answeredd 13,172 queries received from students by SMS and phone. Balaveera visualizes a future when web based learning is possible and then a student could learn from the home itself. VTU has had interesting programs‘, one of them being the CXO speaks. The CEOs, COOs, CFOs and other top industry executives talk to hundreds of students of VTU on every Saturday from VTU Studio. The objective of this initiative is to provide awareness and understanding of industry trends, requirements and critical success factors to students. VTU is making efforts to conduct a series of program with companies like Infosys, IBM and Microsoft that highlight various facets, technologies and trends relevant to the industry, more so the IT industry.

The second channel –the VSAT interactive channel is IP based with return video on MPEG4 and can be used for any additional applications like on-line examination and data transfer. This is the first time that DBBS2 technology for interactive communication. VTU proposes to dedicate the utilization of this Channel to industry so that they can offer Technology Specific Classes (TSC) and Soft Skill Classes(SSC). VTU students will benefit a great deal, for they not only will understand the industry trends and requirements but will also get trained in the appropriate technologies, there by meeting, to some extent, the requirements of industry.

The MOU that ISRO and the VTU signed with the first batch of colleges says that ISRO would provide the necessary VSAT, Hub and Teaching end support while VTU will coordinate with various engineering colleges affiliated to it and manage the VSAT network, which is part of the overall VTU-Edusat network currently being in full operation. VTU is primarily responsible for conducting various courses of undergraduate and postgraduate programs in engineering and other academic related programs. Hughes Communications India has provided the technical support.

ISRO chairman and secretary - department of space, government of India, Madhavan Nair said that he would like VU to use the Edusat facilities for 16-18 hours a day against the current 8 hours.

VTU is the first university in the country that has networked all its affiliated engineering colleges. India is the only country in the world that has launched a separate satellite – Edusat dedicated to education.

The 1950 kg Edusat was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota by ISRO‘s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). In a geo stationary orbit, the satellite is co-located with KALPANA-1 and INSAT-3C satellites at 74 deg East longitude.

Compared to the satellites launched in the INSAT series so far, EDUSAT has several new technologies. The spacecraft is built around a standardized spacecraft bus called I-2K. It has a multiple spot beam antenna with 1.2 m reflector to direct precisely the Ku band spot beams towards their intended regions of India, a dual core bent heat pipe for thermal control, high efficiency multi-junction solar cells and an improved thruster configuration for optimized propellant use for orbit and orientation maintenance. The satellite uses radiatively cooled Ku-band Travelling Wave Tube Amplifiers (TWTAs) and dielectrically loaded C-band de-multiplexer for its communication payloads. Edusat carries five Ku-band transponders providing spot beams, one Ku-band transponder providing a national beam and six Extended C-band transponders with national coverage beam.