Advanced spacecraft system technologies

Abstract

ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) is a premier research and development Centre for satellite systems under the Indian Space Research Organization. Over the last four decades, ISAC has achieved remarkable success in the realization of state-of-the-art spacecraft missions covering wide spectrum of applications and services in the areas of television broadcasting, radio networking, VSAT services, tele-medicine, tele-education, direct to home services, navigation, search and rescue, meteorology, disaster management, natural resources survey and management, urban planning, ocean applications, space science exploration etc. In order to cope up with the demands, the Centre is engaged in the continuous development of cutting-edge technologies of relevance to its satellite building activities and has established infrastructures for design, development, fabrication and testing of satellites. The Centre has highly trained and skilled human resource which includes about 1,400 qualified Scientists/Engineers and about 600 technicians. Since its inception in 1972, the Centre has built and launched 73 spacecraft missions that encompass a wide spectrum of technologies and applications for satellite communication, remote sensing for natural resources monitoring, survey and management, meteorology and navigation. In this paper, the details of the advanced spacecraft technologies that are being pursued and maturing in the Centre to meet the requirements of futuristic satellite designs are presented.