Indian teen builds world's 'lightest satellite'

Rifath Shaarook's 64gm (0.14lb) device was selected as the winner in a youth design competition. The 18-year-old says its main purpose was to demonstrate the performance of 3D printed carbon fibre. Rifath told local media his invention will go on a four-hour mission for a sub-orbital flight. During that time, the lightweight satellite will operate for around 12 minutes in a micro-gravity environment of space.

Indian boy Rifath Shaarook,18, builds world's smallest satellite KALAMSAT for NASA after our beloved President. Well done #DiscoveryTrending pic.twitter.com/KgtDtQNfWA

— Discovery Channel IN (@DiscoveryIN) May 16, 2017

"We designed it completely from scratch," he said. "It will have a new kind of on-board computer and eight indigenous built-in sensors to measure acceleration, rotation and the magnetosphere of the earth." The satellite has been named KalamSat after former Indian president Abdul Kalam, a pioneer for the country's aeronautical science ambitions. His project was selected in a challenge called Cubes in Space, organised by education company idoodle with support from Nasa and the Colorado Space Grant Consortium. Newcomer scientist Rifath comes from a small town in Tamil Nadu and now works as lead scientist at Chennai-based Space Kidz India, an organisation promoting science and education for Indian children and teenagers. The KalamSat is not his first invention: at the age of 15, he built a helium weather balloon as a part of nationwide competition for young scientists.