UND researcher designs satellite to be launched by India Pablo de Leon (space studies), research associate in the area of extravehicular activities and space suit design, and a group of researchers from the Argentine Association for Space Technology and the University of Comahue, a university located in Neuquen, Argentina, have designed and built an educational satellite named Pehuensat-1 which will be attached to the PSLV C-7 (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) rocket and launched by the Indian government. Santosh Seelan, professor of space studies, arranged the alliance between de Leon and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in the search for launch opportunities for the Pehuensat-1 satellite aboard the launch vehicle from India. “Working with ISRO has been an amazing experience,” said de Leon. “They (ISRO) made the integration and certification processes so easy. I look forward to working with them again.” Pehuensat-1 is an educational satellite which will help to link students in Argentina with other countries by transmitting voice message in English, Spanish and Hindi which can be received by standard Ham radio equipment. It was built by students and faculty at the University of Comahue, with de Leon as payload manager of the effort. “I think there are many opportunities for space experimenters to put their satellites and payloads in space with India,” said de Leon. More information can be found on the official ISRO web site, www.isro.org or the Argentine Association for Space Technology at www.aate.org. -- karen ryba, director of communications, aerospace, ryba@aero.und.edu, 7-4761