IIT Madras, ISRO join forces to establish research centre for studying spacecraft & launch vehicle thermal management

An MoU was signed between ISRO and IIT Madras as part of which the former will provide seed funding of ₹1.84 Crore to establish this centre.

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has joined hands with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to establish a Centre of Excellence for research in ‘Fluid and Thermal Sciences’.

IIT Madras and ISRO have signed an MoU to establish a Centre of Excellence for research in ‘Fluid and Thermal Sciences’. (HT Photo)

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between ISRO and IIT Madras on November 11, 2024, as part of which the former will provide seed funding of ₹1.84 Crore to establish this centre.

The MoU was signed by Prof. Manu Santhanam, Dean (Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research), IIT Madras, and Victor Joseph T, Director of Directorate of Technology Development & Innovation (DTDI) at ISRO, in the presence of Project coordinator Prof. Arvind Pattamatta, Department of Mechanical Engineering in IIT Madras, and other stakeholders from IIT Madras and ISRO.

According to a press statement, the Centre will act as a nodal centre for spacecraft and launch vehicle-related thermal management research activities of ISRO.

Additionally, thermal problems related to the design, analysis, and testing of various components can be solved by leveraging the expertise of IIT Madras faculty.

The key objectives of this collaboration includes:

• Thermal Management Research Hub: The Centre will serve as a key research hub for ISRO, focusing on spacecraft and launch vehicle thermal management challenges.
• Funding: ISRO will provide an initial seed funding Rs. 1.84 crore to establish the Centre and for essential infrastructure and equipment, and additional funding for consumables, maintenance and for future projects in fluid-thermal sciences.
• Advanced Research Projects: Projects will cover critical areas, including spacecraft thermal management, combustion instability in hybrid rockets, and cryo-tank thermodynamics.
• Industry-Academia Collaboration: The Centre will enhance collaboration between ISRO scientists and IIT Madras faculty, fostering innovation in fluid and thermal sciences.

Prof. Arvind Pattamatta highlighted that the Centre of Excellence will foster a unique industry-academia interface, and will allow ISRO scientists and IIT Madras faculty and students to collaboratively advance research in critical areas of thermal science.

He said, “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”