Ravana to start Orbiting June 17

The Ravana 1 Satellite turned out by two research Engineers of the Arthur C Clark Centre with the help of the Kyushu Centre in Japan and at present lying at the International Space Centre will be launched into an orbit about 400 kilometres from the earth on June 17.

Minister of Science and Technology and Research Sujeewa Senasinghe told the media yesterday that it would be an outstanding achievement field of space research initiated in 2014 by Arthur C Clark Centre of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research under its long term space technology research programme.

“Arthur C Clark Centre and the Kyushu Technology Institute in Japan entered a Cooperate Research Agreement in 2017. Research Engineer Dulani Chamika received a scholarship under the agreement to carry on research on inventing a NANO Satellite and in addition Engineer Tharindu Dayaratne joined the research programme. The government had allocated Rs. 21.5 million for the NANO satellite programme.

The country is now back to normal and the ministry’s massive Shilpa Sena exhibition to impart to the public the knowledge of science and technology would commence in Colombo on July 18.

Our object is to provide a vast range of opportunities to the public through the exhibition and among them would be introducing 500 new inventions and 1000 packages to create public awareness on productions. I am hopeful that the gross national product could be increased by 100 percent by expanding the programme to other districts as well,” he said.

Secretary to the Ministry Chinthaka Lokuhetti, Director Himali Athaudage, and Chairman of the Arthur C Clark Centre Prof. Upul Sonnadara were present at the occasion.