Sambalpur: A team of students of the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Technology (VSSUT), Burla, which made a satellite, has set Asia's first student rocketry record in the prestigious India Book Records.

For an educational institution, it is for the first time in India that such milestone has been set. No other organisation has ever risked and tried to enter aerospace and rocketry domain, said a source from the technology institute.

The students of the institute took the challenge and mastered the art of rocket science. Prior to this, ISRO was the only organisation, which had been into rocketry and satellite fields in India.

Since past 20 months, about 35 members have been working in this project.

The team proposed their successful launch for recognitions in the India Book of Record. After a duration of three months, considerable verification of the altimeter data, media coverage and video clips, the project was granted recognition in the India Book of Records. The team received the recognition, memento and certificate on Saturday. In January 13, 1956, the Hirakud Dam was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Technology, established as University College Engineering, was built to produce engineers to maintain the dam.

"This journey could have had never been possible without the constant support of the professors, alumni and students of the university," said B.B. Pati the vice-chancellor of the institute.

Debadutta Mishra , dean student welfare, helped the team to gain various approvals and permissions while Gyan Ranjan Biswal, vice-president of the Ideal and Innovation club, has been instrumental in technical suggestions regarding the project.