IIT Madras, ISRO join hands to establish spacecraft research center
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has partnered with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to set up a Center of Excellence. The collaboration will focus on promoting research in 'Fluid and Thermal Sciences,' with ISRO providing seed funding of ₹1.84 crore for its establishment. The center will be a hub for thermal management research for spacecraft and launch vehicles, leveraging IIT Madras faculty members' expertise.
MoU signed to formalize research collaboration
To formalize this collaboration, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at IIT Madras today. Professor Manu Santhanam, Dean (Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research), IIT Madras, and Victor Joseph T, Director, Directorate of Technology Development and Innovation (DTDI), ISRO were the signatories. Project Coordinator Prof. Arvind Pattamatta from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Madras and several stakeholders from both institutions attended the signing ceremony.
Research center to address thermal management challenges
The new center will focus on solving thermal management problems of spacecraft and launch vehicles. ISRO's first ₹1.84 crore funding will be utilized for establishing infrastructure and equipment at the center. More funds will be provided for consumables, maintenance, and future fluid-thermal sciences projects. The research projects of this collaboration will span key areas such as spacecraft thermal management, combustion instability in hybrid rockets, and cryo-tank thermodynamics studies.
Center to foster industry-academia collaboration
The center seeks to improve collaboration between ISRO scientists and IIT Madras faculty, promoting innovation in fluid and thermal sciences. Professor Pattamatta said this Center of Excellence will promote a unique industry-academia interface. He added, "By addressing complex thermal engineering challenges, we aim to contribute significantly to the nation's space program and strengthen India's self-reliance in space technologies."
ISRO-IIT M Space Technology Cell: A step toward self-reliance
The partnership between ISRO and IIT Madras isn't new. In 1985, they set up the 'ISRO-IIT M Space Technology Cell' to promote basic knowledge generation through advanced academic research. It was a strategic move toward creating a truly self-reliant and self-generating space program for India. The proposed Center of Excellence is another major step in that direction, looking to expand research activities in Fluid and Thermal Sciences related to space technology.
