Sri Lanka in Space

Sri Lanka’s first satellite ‘Raavana-1’ was launched into space 18 April 2019 from NASA’s Flight Facility on Virginia’s east shore. ‘Raavana 1’ weights around 1.05 kg and the lifespan of the satellite is around one and a half years. The launch marked Sri Lanka’s entry into the global space age. The satellite was designed and built at the Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan by two Sri Lankan research engineers. Its camera mission is to capture images of Sri Lanka and its neighboring countries.

RAAVANA-1 which is a cube-seized miniature satellite and Sri Lanka's first research satellite built by two Sri Lankan youth Tharindu Dayaratne and Dulani Chamika marking our entrance into the space age. Tharindu Dayaratne is an Electrical and Electronics engineer of the University of Peradeniya and a research engineer at the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Modern Technologies and Dulani Chamika is a Mechatronics engineer from the same institute.

Ravana was a terrible demon (raksasa) who was the king of all demons and of the fortress island of Lanka (modern-day Sri Lanka). His father was Visravas (son of Pulastya, one of the creator Prajapati) and mother Nikasa, also a demon and mother of the cannibal demons.

On the death of Prahasta, Ravana resolved to take the field himself. Ascending a dazzling car, he set out amid the shouts of the Rakshasas, the blare of trumpets, and the peal of drums. Rama asked Yibhisana to name the captains who accompanied the king. Among them were Mahodara, Trisiras, and Indrajit. Having ordered his warriors to guard the city from surprise, Havana advanced alone to the attack. Sugriva ran to meet him, hurling against him a mountain with all its trees; but he cleft it with his shafts and then pierced Sugriva with an arrow which stretched him ontheground. Nala, Sushena,and other monkey chiefs then assailed Ravana with rocks; but they were met by his shafts, while he pierced the senders with his arrows.

When Ravana was told of Kumbhakarna's death, half of his body in the sea, the other blocking up the gate of Lanka, he fainted and fell to the ground. When he recovered his senses, he sorely lamented his death. He now neither cared for empire nor Sita. His only comfort left was to slay Rama, who had slain his brother. He was now reaping the bitter fruits of rejecting Vibhisana's wise advice.

Rama seeing Ravana approaching, toll Matali, his charioteer, to drive his car right against him. To witness the fight, the celestials assembled, amid dreadful omens. Blood was showered down on Ravana's car, Lanka was enveloped in gloom, jackals howled, vultures appeared, and the horses shed tears. A terrible encounter then followed. Ravana, by his arrows, broke down the flag staff of Rama's car, and in return he shattered that of Ravana. Then Ravana, with flaming arro«S/ pierced Rama's steeds, but they heeded them no more than if they were flowers.

Matah advised Rama to take the weapon made by Brahma for Indra, and given to him by Agastya. The wind was its wings, the sun was its head, the sky its body, in weight it was equal to Meru and Mandara. Discharged by Rama, it cleft the heart of Ravana, and he fell from his chariot to the earth. Upon this the Rakshasas fled, pursued with shouts of victory by the monkeys. Celestial music was then heard, and blossoms showered down from the sky.