The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) collaborated with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to set up a Centre of Excellence for research in 'Fluid and Thermal Sciences'. ISRO will grant seed funding of Rs 1.84 for the project.
According to the IIT-M, the Centre will be the nodal centre for spacecraft and launch vehicle-related thermal management research activities of ISRO. Thermal problems relating to design, analysis and testing components will be performed under the supervision of the expertise of IIT Madras faculty.
The collaboration between ISRO and IIT Madras will result in the following key outcomes:
Thermal Management Research Hub: The Centre will serve as a critical research facility for ISRO, addressing thermal management challenges for spacecraft and launch vehicles.
Funding: ISRO will provide an initial seed fund of Rs 1.84 crore to establish the Centre, covering infrastructure, equipment, and future grants for consumables, maintenance, and projects in fluid-thermal sciences.
Advanced Research Projects: The Centre will focus on key areas such as spacecraft thermal management, combustion instability in hybrid rockets, and cryo-tank thermodynamics.
Industry-Academia Collaboration: The Centre will strengthen the partnership between ISRO scientists and IIT Madras faculty, promoting innovation in fluid and thermal sciences.
Recognising the importance of basic research to support a self-sufficient space programme, ISRO and IIT Madras established the 'ISRO-IIT M Space Technology Cell' in 1985.
