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Karnataka government to launch 'Satellite Puneeth' from Sriharikota; 1000 select students to witness the grand gesture

The grand gesture is part of the larger satellite launch programme inaugurated during the 75 years of Indian Independence celebrations (also termed the Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav).

Karnataka government to launch 'Satellite Puneeth' from Sriharikota; 1000 select students to witness the grand gesture

Puneeth Rajkumar

Last Updated: 08.00 PM, Aug 28, 2022

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Puneeth Rajkumar's legacy will now be extended to outer space as the Karnataka state government decides to name a satellite after the late actor. Reportedly, a KGS3 satellite, worth Rs. 1.90 crores, will be launched in the honor of the Powerstar into orbit between November 15 and December 31 of 2022: the highlight of this special gesture is that the satellite has been developed by government school students in Bengaluru.

The launch will take place at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

The grand gesture is part of the larger satellite launch programme inaugurated during the 75 years of Indian Independence celebrations (also termed the Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav). Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged Indian states to launch 75 satellites that were exclusively designed and prepared by students and 'Satellite Puneeth' will be part of this novel idea.

In a recent press statement, the Minister of Science and Technology for Karnataka, Dr C. Ashwath Narayan, announced that several students from schools and colleges across Karnataka were asked to participate in zonal and state-level competitions out of which 1000 have been shortlisted to witness the launch of Satellite Puneeth in Sriharikota. The satellite is said to be weighing around 1.5 kilos.

Following his tragic passing in October of 2021 due to a cardiac arrest, Puneeth Rajkumar was bestowed with multiple honours by the C.M. Basavaraj Bommai government. Along with the full state honours during his funeral, the state also conferred him with the highest civilian honour of Karnataka Ratna, thus making him only the tenth personality since the inception of the award. Dr Rajkumar, Puneeth Rajkumar's father, was awarded Karnataka Ratna in 1992.

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