[🇧🇩] Space Program in Bangladesh

[Saif]

UIU first in Asia at University Rover Challenge 2024

This is the third year in a row that UIU has been crowned the best in Asia at the URC competition.

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UIU first in Asia at University Rover Challenge 2024
This is the third year in a row that UIU has been crowned the best in Asia at the URC competition.

Photo: Courtesy

The UIU Mars Rover Team from United International University (UIU) became the highest-ranked team from Asia at the University Rover Challenge (URC) 2024. The team also secured the 5th position globally at the competition. This is the third year in a row that UIU has been crowned the best in Asia at the URC competition.

The UIU Mars rover team with its YGGDRASIL rover.

At the URC 2024, UIU secured this marvelous feat by competing against 37 other teams from 15 countries.​

 

[Saif]

Mongol Barota: MIST’s Mars rover team participating in the University Rover Challenge finals

Mongol Barota Mars Rover Team from MIST heads to finals with PHOENIX 4.0, aiming for victory.

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Mongol Barota: MIST's Mars rover team participating in the University Rover Challenge finals

Mongol Barota – the Mars rover team from Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) – is set to participate in the University Rover Challenge (URC) 2024 finals with their PHOENIX 4.0 rover. They are one of three teams from Bangladesh who will be representing the country at one of the world's most popular robotics competitions tailored for university students across the world.

Led by Md Jawadur Rahman, with Al-Amin Rashid Tarek as the co-leader, the Mongol Barota team comprises key members across various departments, each playing a crucial role in the rover's development and success. Ahmed Ahnaf Saqafi leads the mechanical sub-team, while Istiaque Ahmed Arik oversees the software and communication sub-team. Then there is Mansib Hasan Rohan, who directs the electrical sub-team, followed by Raisul Islam Rahad and Anika Tahsin Raisa leading the rover's autonomy, navigation, and science team.

As for guidance, the team turned to their supervisors, including MIST's Commandant Maj Gen Mohammed Saidul Islam, rcds, ndc, psc, Head of the Department of Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) Brig Gen Mohammad Sajjad Hossain, and Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) Brig Gen Md Awal Khan.

Mongol Barota's journey started back in 2014 when the team made its debut at the URC, securing the 12th position globally. In 2015, the team returned to the URC arena, this time earning the 9th position worldwide and securing the title of "Best Team from Asia". Fast forward to 2021, Mongol Barota reached the virtual final of the URC and ranked first globally. Besides the URC, the team also boasts notable achievements from competitions such as the European Rover Challenge (ERC) and Anatolian Rover Challenge (ARC).

Working with the rover gave the team hands-on experience of using various advanced equipment, taught them how to think critically, sharpened their problem-solving skills, and helped build team work and patience. It also allowed team members to form life-long friendships.

To read the rest of the news, please click on the link above.​

 

[Saif]

UIU ranks 3rd in Asia in CanSat Competition 2024

Team UIU Astro from United International University (UIU) has ranked 3rd in Asia and 11th globally in the CanSat Competition 2024 organised by the American Astronautical Society.

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UIU ranks 3rd in Asia in CanSat Competition 2024

Photo: Collected / Facebook / IEEE UIU Student Branch
Team UIU Astro from United International University (UIU) has ranked 3rd in Asia and 11th globally in the CanSat Competition 2024 organised by the American Astronautical Society.

The team, consisting of Md Zidan Talukder, Abdullah Al Saad, Provat Kundu, Md Efty Alamgir, M Abdullah Khan, Md Shamsuzzaman, Anika Tabassum Orchi, Al Reasat, Md Farhan Zaman, and Md Darain Khan, attended the competition finals from June 6 to 9 in Monterey, Virginia, United States.

A CanSat is a type of rocket payload used to teach space technology, similar to the one used in miniaturised satellites. The name "CanSat" combines the terms 'can' and 'satellite' given that it simulates a real satellite, integrated within the volume and shape of a regular soft drink can.​

 

[Saif]

Bangladesh is negotiating with France to build 4-6 satellites in future. Bangladesh is emphasizing knowledge/technology transfer and capacity building.

 

[Deleted due to Error (Muji Iqbal)]

Although I wish well for Bangladesh, I think Bangladesh relies on other countries to send satellites to space. Am I correct?

 

[Saif]

Although I wish well for Bangladesh, I think Bangladesh relies on other countries to send satellites to space. Am I correct?

You are absolutely correct, brother. Bangladesh hasn't been able to build the necessary infrastructure to launch satellites into the space. So, we have to depend on America/France to send satellites into the space.

 

[Saif]

Two Bangladeshi teams reach finals of European Rover Challenge 2024

Project Altair from the Islamic University of Technology (IUT) and Team Interplanetar from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) has advanced to the final round of the international rover competition European Rover Challenge (ERC) 2024, to be held in Krakow, Poland, from...

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Two Bangladeshi teams reach finals of European Rover Challenge 2024

Left: Team Interplanetar from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). Right: Project Altair from Islamic University of Technology (IUT). Photos: Courtesy

Project Altair from the Islamic University of Technology (IUT) and Team Interplanetar from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) has advanced to the final round of the international rover competition European Rover Challenge (ERC) 2024, to be held in Krakow, Poland, from September 6 to 8, 2024.

Widely recognised as a platform for aspiring space engineers, the ERC hosts teams from universities all over the world to design and build rovers capable of tackling simulated Martian and lunar environments. These tasks replicate the real-world obstacles encountered by rovers on space missions, allowing students to showcase their ingenuity and technical prowess in front of industry experts and representatives from major space agencies.

Following a rigorous selection process, 69 teams from across the globe vied for a spot in the finals. The top 27, including Project Altair and Team Interplanetar - both from Bangladesh, qualified for the final round.

"Right now, we are focused on practising for ERC finals tasks, fixing any bugs, and getting the rover competition-ready. We are also working on university approval, visa processing, and sponsorship to support our efforts," shared Md. Nahid Shahriare, Outreach Lead of Team Interplanetar from BUET.

According to the team, BUET's rover Prochesta V3.0 has a four-wheel rocker suspension with a link bar differential for extreme traversal. It is equipped with a five-degree-of-freedom robotic arm that allows it to perform maintenance tasks. "Besides, it has a modular science payload that enables drilling and storage of soil samples for scientific analysis, along with industrial grade cameras and communication equipment that allows it to travel autonomously at great distances," explained Sahib Ur Rauf, the team's Technical Lead.

As for Project Altair from IUT, the team is using a bar differential as the suspension system for driving through rough terrain. Their manipulator subsystem is built with laser-cut SS steel, actuators, and worm gears and their deep sampling system uses an auger and ball screw mechanism to dig deep soil samples. "Considering the current state of our rover and the team's motivation, we aspire to achieve big in this year's ERC finals," shared Mohammad Emon, Team Lead.

"Although our rover is competition-ready, we are working on significant improvements for this year's finals. We are currently implementing an autonomous navigation system using SLAM (Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping) for the navigation task and automating our deep sampling machine. We are also enhancing our communication system, as we faced challenges in this area during our recent competition at IRC 2024," Emon further explained. The team is also manufacturing a new gripper for a task newly added to ERC this year.

The ERC finals will see these talented teams from Bangladesh put their rovers through a series of demanding tasks designed to mimic real-world missions conducted by NASA and ESA.​

 

[Saif]

MIST’s Mongol Barota secures runners-up trophy at Anatolian Rover Challenge 2024

The team also secured the champion title in the ARC Junior 2024 Exploration Challenge.

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MIST’s Mongol Barota secures runners-up trophy at Anatolian Rover Challenge 2024
The team also secured the champion title in the ARC Junior 2024 Exploration Challenge.

Maverick – MIST Mongol Barota's latest Mars rover that helped them secure the runners-up trophy at Anatolian Rover Challenge 2024. Photos: Courtesy

Mongol Barota, the Mars rover team from the Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST), has secured the runners-up trophy at the Anatolian Rover Challenge (ARC) 2024, and the champion title in the ARC Junior 2024 Exploration Challenge.

ARC'24 took place from July 17 to 21 at the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkiye, under the patronage of the Space Exploration Society (UKET).

MIST's Mongol Barota, consisting of 38 students across several engineering departments of MIST, took on this year's ARC challenge with their latest rover, Maverick. Six of them represented the team in Turkiye. The team was led by Md Jawadur Rahman from the Department of Computer Science & Engineering (CSE), with Alamin Rashid Tarek from the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) as the co-leader. Other members of the team included Lt Md Sarower Morshed (CSE), Istiaque Ahmed Arik (CSE), Raisul Islam Rahad (CSE), and Ahmed Ahnaf Saqafi (ME). The team was guided by their faculty advisors Lt Col Muhammad Nazrul Islam (CSE), Maj Md Shawkat Ali (CSE), and Lecturer Shah Md Ahasan Siddique (ME).

The ARC Junior 2024 team, on the other hand, was led by Lecturer Ahasan with Alamin and Saqafi. Brig Gen Mohammad Sajjad Hossain, Head of the CSE department at MIST supported the team throughout the journey as the main advisor. The team members also expressed their gratitude to Brig Gen Md Anisur Rahman, Head of the ME Department for providing valuable mechanical facilities. MIST's Commandant also appreciated the team's achievements at the ARC'24.

Mongol Barota faced fierce competition from 21 other teams from countries like Poland, India, and Turkiye amongst others. The competition required teams to complete four demanding missions set in environments simulating the environmental conditions in Mars, the moon, and the Earth.

The competition had four missions: Science Sampler, Autonomous Exploration, Lunar Robotic Prospector, and Night Launch. Mongol Barota excelled in all missions, securing 2nd, 4th, and 2nd positions in missions 1, 2, and 3 respectively. In the fourth mission, they scored a perfect 100 out of 100 and completed the task six minutes before the designated time, showcasing their rover's exceptional nighttime navigation and task execution skills.

Photo: ARC Website

Despite few technical challenges, the team's resilience paid off, earning them the second overall position with a total score of 235.18 points. The team's stellar performance did not go unnoticed, as they also received the ARC Special Prize for the "Best Team Structure". This award was judged by Umut Yildiz, a deep space communications engineer at NASA to whom Mongol Barota's inclusive team culture, which involves welcoming all members regardless of age or contribution, and nurturing a healthy learning and growth environment, stood out.

On July 18, during the Night Launch mission, the team received a devastating news from Bangladesh that Shykh Ashabul Yamin, a fourth-year CSE student from MIST, had tragically lost his life during the quota reform protests. The news shook the team to its core. Rahad, the rover's communications lead, said, "We felt extremely restless for not being able to communicate back home due to the nationwide internet shut down in Bangladesh back then. Despite wanting to give up, we stayed and fought back with our feelings, because we knew we had to win this for Yamin bhaiya, as well as for all the others who have embraced martyrdom [during the protests]."

Regarding their achievement, Rashid said, "Even during such a critical moment in our country, we achieved this success through courage and unity, reflecting our unwavering determination."

MIST's Mongol Barota is determined to use their experience from the ARC'24 to drive technological progress and help shape the future of a new Bangladesh.

Fatima Ashraf is a campus ambassador for The Daily Star at the Military Institute of Science & Technology (MIST).​