Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
Encyclopedia
The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)(Hindi
:विक्रम साराभाई अंतरिक्ष केंद्र) is a major space research centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation
(ISRO), focusing on rocket and space vehicles for India
's satellite
programme. It is located in Thiruvananthapuram
, in the India
n state of Kerala
.
The center had its beginnings as the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station
(TERLS) in 1962. It was renamed in honor of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai
, the father of the Indian space program. VSSC is surrounded by the villages of Veli to the south, Kulathoor to east, and Pallithura to the north.
The Vikram Sarabhai Space Center is one of the main Research & Development establishments within ISRO. VSSC is an entirely indigenous facility working on the development of sounding rockets; Rohini and Menaka launchers; ASLV
, PSLV and GSLV, along with the solid-fuel motor program.
, Avionics
, Composites
, etc. primarily for the purpose of advancing launch vehicle technology.
After the incorporation of Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) in 1962, its first act was the establishment of the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station
(TERLS) at Thumba, in Thiruvananthapuram. Thumba was picked as the launch site for sounding rockets for meteorological and upper atmospheric research due to its location on the Geomagnetic Equator.
November 21, 1963 marked India's first venture into space, with the launch of a two-stage Nike Apache
sounding rocket
from TERLS. The first rockets launched were built in United States
.
The first Indian designed and built rocket, RH-75, made its maiden flight on November 20, 1967. This was the 52nd launch of a sounding rocket from TERLS. It was flown twice again in 1967 and another 12 times in 1968, making a total of 15 RH-75 flights.
Among the sounding rockets to have flown from TERLS were Arcas
-1, Arcas
-11, Centaure
-1, 11A and 11B, Dragon
-1, Dual Hawk, Judy Dart, Menaka-1, Menaka-1Mk 1 and Mk11, Nike Tomahawk
, M-100, Petrel
, RH-100, RH-125, RH-200 (S), RH-300, variants of RH-560, etc. There have been a total of nearly 2200 sounding rocket launches from TERLS, so far.
Over the years VSSC has designed, developed and launched a family of sounding rockets under the generic name, Rohini Sounding Rockets (RSR) to serve a range of scientific missions. The currently operational Rohini Sounding Rockets are RH-200, RH-300, RH-560 and their different versions. These sounding rockets are launched for carrying out research in areas like meteorology and upper atmospheric processes up to an altitude of about 500 km.
TERLS was formally dedicated to the United Nations
on February 02, 1968 by then Prime Minister of India
, Mrs. Indira Gandhi
. Although no direct funding from the UN was involved, scientists from several countries including USA, Russia
(former USSR), France
, Japan
, Germany
and UK continue to utilize the TERLS facility for conducting rocket based experiments. Over 1161 USSR meteorological sounding rockets called M-100 were launched from TERLS every week from 1970 until 1993.
After the sudden demise of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai on December 30, 1971, TERLS and associated space establishments at Thiruvananthapuram were renamed as the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in his honour.
In the early 1980s, VSSC was instrumental in the development of India's Satellite Launch Vehicle
program, SLV-3. This was followed in the late 1980s with the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV), for launching 150kg satellites into near earth orbits.
In the 1990s, VSSC contributed to the development of India’s workhorse launch vehicle, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
(PSLV).
, a vital ingredient for solid propellant motors. TERLS and the Space Physics Laboratory (SPL) are also within the VSSC campus. SPL focuses on research activities in disciplines such as surface boundary level physics, atmospheric aerosols, chemistry of radiation, atmospheric dynamics, etc.
VSSC has a large workforce of about 4500 employees, most of them specialists in frontier disciplines.
VSSC has a matrix organization based on Projects and Entities. Core project teams manage project activities. System level activities of the projects are carried out by system development agencies. Major programmes of VSSC include the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
(PSLV), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
(GSLV), Rohini Sounding Rockets, Space Capsule Recovery Experiment, Reusable Launch Vehicles and Air Breathing Propulsion.
VSSC pursues research and development in the fields of aeronautics, avionics, composites, computer and information technology, control guidance and simulation, launch vehicle design, mechanical engineering, mechanisms vehicle integration and testing, propellants polymers and materials, propulsion propellants and space ordnance, and systems reliability. These research Entities are the system development agencies for the Projects and thus provide for the realization of the project objectives. Management systems area provides for programme planning and evaluation, human resource development, budget and manpower, technology transfer, documentation and outreach activities.
VSSC is certified for compliance to ISO 9001:2000 quality management system. The quality objectives of the Centre are planning, implementing and maintaining a quality system during design, development, production, and operation of subsystems and systems for launch vehicles. It also aims at achieving continued improvement in process for its zero defect goal.
ISRO has developed an array of sounding rockets and four generations of launch vehicles and thus establishing operational space transportation system. Most of launch vehicle development is carried out at VSSC.
Current focus of VSSC is on the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
(GSLV), which has made a series of flights.
In January 2007, the Space Capsule Recovery Experiment
Module (SRE-1) was safely brought back to earth after 10 days in orbit. This involved a host of technologies developed at VSSC, including thermal protection systems to withstand the large heat flux of atmospheric re-entry.
VSSC made significant contribution to India's maiden mission to the Moon, Chandrayaan-1.
VSSC R&D efforts have included solid propellant formulations. Another focus area has been navigation systems; the ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) established at Vattiyoorkavu is a part of VSCC.
VSSC is involved in the development of air-breathing vehicles. A reusable launch vehicle technology demonstrator is under development, which will be tested soon.
VSSC also has programs focused on applications of space technology including village resource centres, telemedicine
, tele-education, disaster management support and outreach through Direct To Home television broadcast.
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
:विक्रम साराभाई अंतरिक्ष केंद्र) is a major space research centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation
Indian Space Research Organisation
The Indian Space Research Organisation is an independent Indian governmental agency established in 1969 for the research and development of vehicles and activities for the exploration of space within and outside of Earth’s atmosphere. Headquartered in Bangalore...
(ISRO), focusing on rocket and space vehicles for India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
programme. It is located in Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram , formerly known as Trivandrum, is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala and the headquarters of the Thiruvananthapuram District. It is located on the west coast of India near the extreme south of the mainland...
, in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
.
The center had its beginnings as the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station
Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station
The Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station is an Indian spaceport, operated by the Indian Space Research Organization. It is located in Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram which is near the southern tip of India, very close to earth's magnetic equator...
(TERLS) in 1962. It was renamed in honor of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai
Vikram Sarabhai
Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai was an Indian physicist. He is considered to be the father of the Indian space program; legendary Homi Bhabha’s successor as chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission; and was as at home in the world of the arts as in his favourite laboratory. His interests were vast and...
, the father of the Indian space program. VSSC is surrounded by the villages of Veli to the south, Kulathoor to east, and Pallithura to the north.
The Vikram Sarabhai Space Center is one of the main Research & Development establishments within ISRO. VSSC is an entirely indigenous facility working on the development of sounding rockets; Rohini and Menaka launchers; ASLV
ASLV
Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle , was a 5-stage solid propellant rocket developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation to place 150 kg satellites into LEO. This project was started by India during the early 1980s to develop technologies needed for a payload to be placed into a...
, PSLV and GSLV, along with the solid-fuel motor program.
History
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) is the largest of ISRO facilities. It is a center for the development of satellite launch vehicles and associated technologies. The centre pursues research and development in a host of distinct technology domains including AeronauticsAeronautics
Aeronautics is the science involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of airflight-capable machines, or the techniques of operating aircraft and rocketry within the atmosphere...
, Avionics
Avionics
Avionics are electronic systems used on aircraft, artificial satellites and spacecraft.Avionic systems include communications, navigation, the display and management of multiple systems and the hundreds of systems that are fitted to aircraft to meet individual roles...
, Composites
Composite material
Composite materials, often shortened to composites or called composition materials, are engineered or naturally occurring materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct at the macroscopic or...
, etc. primarily for the purpose of advancing launch vehicle technology.
After the incorporation of Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) in 1962, its first act was the establishment of the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station
Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station
The Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station is an Indian spaceport, operated by the Indian Space Research Organization. It is located in Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram which is near the southern tip of India, very close to earth's magnetic equator...
(TERLS) at Thumba, in Thiruvananthapuram. Thumba was picked as the launch site for sounding rockets for meteorological and upper atmospheric research due to its location on the Geomagnetic Equator.
November 21, 1963 marked India's first venture into space, with the launch of a two-stage Nike Apache
Nike Apache
The Nike Apache was a two-stage sounding rocket used by NASA to loft instruments into the upper atmosphere. The Nike Apache was launched 636 times between 1961 and 1978...
sounding rocket
Sounding rocket
A sounding rocket, sometimes called a research rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. The origin of the term comes from nautical vocabulary, where to sound is to throw a weighted line from a ship into...
from TERLS. The first rockets launched were built in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The first Indian designed and built rocket, RH-75, made its maiden flight on November 20, 1967. This was the 52nd launch of a sounding rocket from TERLS. It was flown twice again in 1967 and another 12 times in 1968, making a total of 15 RH-75 flights.
Among the sounding rockets to have flown from TERLS were Arcas
Arcas (rocket)
Arcas — also designated ARCAS — was the designation of an American sounding rocket, which was launched between July 31, 1959 and August 9, 1991 at least 421 times. The Arcas has a maximum flight altitude of 52 kilometers, a takeoff thrust of 1.5 kN, a takeoff weight of 34 kilograms, and a...
-1, Arcas
Arcas (rocket)
Arcas — also designated ARCAS — was the designation of an American sounding rocket, which was launched between July 31, 1959 and August 9, 1991 at least 421 times. The Arcas has a maximum flight altitude of 52 kilometers, a takeoff thrust of 1.5 kN, a takeoff weight of 34 kilograms, and a...
-11, Centaure
Centaure
Centaure is the designation of a two-stage French sounding rocket consisting of a Belier starting stage and a Venus upper stage. The Centaure has been built in a number of 230 and has been launched from Hammaguir, Reggane, CELPA, Salto di Quirra, Esrange, Thumba, Sonmiani and Andøya...
-1, 11A and 11B, Dragon
Dragon (rocket)
The Dragon is a two-stage French solid propellant sounding rocket used for high altitude research. Its first stage was a Stromboli engine which burned 675 kg of fuel in 16 s and so produced a maximum thrust of 88 kN. A Belier engine was used as the upper stage...
-1, Dual Hawk, Judy Dart, Menaka-1, Menaka-1Mk 1 and Mk11, Nike Tomahawk
Nike Tomahawk
The Nike Tomahawk was a two stage American sounding rocket. The first stage was a Nike rocket, the second a Tomahawk rocket.The Nike Tomahawk has a ceiling of 230 statute miles , a payload capacity of 100 pounds , a launch thrust of 49,000 pounds of force , a launch weight of 2,200 pounds , a...
, M-100, Petrel
Petrel (rocket)
The Petrel was a British sounding rocket. The Petrel 1 was launched, like the Skua 1, with 3 Chick booster rockets. The Chick motors were fitted in a Booster Carriage that also carried the two parachutes that brought it back to earth for re-use. The Petrel 1 was 3.34 m long, had a diameter of...
, RH-100, RH-125, RH-200 (S), RH-300, variants of RH-560, etc. There have been a total of nearly 2200 sounding rocket launches from TERLS, so far.
Over the years VSSC has designed, developed and launched a family of sounding rockets under the generic name, Rohini Sounding Rockets (RSR) to serve a range of scientific missions. The currently operational Rohini Sounding Rockets are RH-200, RH-300, RH-560 and their different versions. These sounding rockets are launched for carrying out research in areas like meteorology and upper atmospheric processes up to an altitude of about 500 km.
TERLS was formally dedicated to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
on February 02, 1968 by then Prime Minister of India
Prime Minister of India
The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...
, Mrs. Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
. Although no direct funding from the UN was involved, scientists from several countries including USA, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(former USSR), France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and UK continue to utilize the TERLS facility for conducting rocket based experiments. Over 1161 USSR meteorological sounding rockets called M-100 were launched from TERLS every week from 1970 until 1993.
After the sudden demise of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai on December 30, 1971, TERLS and associated space establishments at Thiruvananthapuram were renamed as the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in his honour.
In the early 1980s, VSSC was instrumental in the development of India's Satellite Launch Vehicle
Satellite Launch Vehicle
The Indian Satellite Launch Vehicle or SLV was a project started in the early 1970s by Indian Space Research Organisation to develop the technology needed to launch satellites. The project was headed by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. SLV was intended to reach a height of 400 km and carry a payload of...
program, SLV-3. This was followed in the late 1980s with the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV), for launching 150kg satellites into near earth orbits.
In the 1990s, VSSC contributed to the development of India’s workhorse launch vehicle, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle , commonly known by its abbreviation PSLV, is an expendable launch system developed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation . It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing satellites into sun synchronous orbits, a service that...
(PSLV).
Facilities
In addition to its main campus located at Thumba and Veli, VSSC has integration and checkout facilities located at Valiamala. Facilities for development of reinforced plastics and composites are located at Vattiyoorkavu in Thiruvananthapuram. An experimental plant in Aluva produces ammonium perchlorateAmmonium perchlorate
Ammonium perchlorate is an inorganic compound with the formula NH4ClO4. It is the salt of perchloric acid and ammonia. It is a powerful oxidizer, which is why its main use is in solid propellants...
, a vital ingredient for solid propellant motors. TERLS and the Space Physics Laboratory (SPL) are also within the VSSC campus. SPL focuses on research activities in disciplines such as surface boundary level physics, atmospheric aerosols, chemistry of radiation, atmospheric dynamics, etc.
VSSC has a large workforce of about 4500 employees, most of them specialists in frontier disciplines.
Programs
Over the last four decades VSSC has become the leading centre for development of launch vehicle technology.VSSC has a matrix organization based on Projects and Entities. Core project teams manage project activities. System level activities of the projects are carried out by system development agencies. Major programmes of VSSC include the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle , commonly known by its abbreviation PSLV, is an expendable launch system developed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation . It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing satellites into sun synchronous orbits, a service that...
(PSLV), Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle is an expendable launch system operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation...
(GSLV), Rohini Sounding Rockets, Space Capsule Recovery Experiment, Reusable Launch Vehicles and Air Breathing Propulsion.
VSSC pursues research and development in the fields of aeronautics, avionics, composites, computer and information technology, control guidance and simulation, launch vehicle design, mechanical engineering, mechanisms vehicle integration and testing, propellants polymers and materials, propulsion propellants and space ordnance, and systems reliability. These research Entities are the system development agencies for the Projects and thus provide for the realization of the project objectives. Management systems area provides for programme planning and evaluation, human resource development, budget and manpower, technology transfer, documentation and outreach activities.
VSSC is certified for compliance to ISO 9001:2000 quality management system. The quality objectives of the Centre are planning, implementing and maintaining a quality system during design, development, production, and operation of subsystems and systems for launch vehicles. It also aims at achieving continued improvement in process for its zero defect goal.
ISRO has developed an array of sounding rockets and four generations of launch vehicles and thus establishing operational space transportation system. Most of launch vehicle development is carried out at VSSC.
Current focus of VSSC is on the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle is an expendable launch system operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation...
(GSLV), which has made a series of flights.
In January 2007, the Space Capsule Recovery Experiment
Space Capsule Recovery Experiment
The Space Capsule Recovery Experiment is an Indian experimental spacecraft which was launched at 03:53 GMT on January 10, 2007 from Sriharikota by the Indian Space Research Organization . The launch was conducted using the PSLV C7 rocket, along with three other satellites...
Module (SRE-1) was safely brought back to earth after 10 days in orbit. This involved a host of technologies developed at VSSC, including thermal protection systems to withstand the large heat flux of atmospheric re-entry.
VSSC made significant contribution to India's maiden mission to the Moon, Chandrayaan-1.
VSSC R&D efforts have included solid propellant formulations. Another focus area has been navigation systems; the ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) established at Vattiyoorkavu is a part of VSCC.
VSSC is involved in the development of air-breathing vehicles. A reusable launch vehicle technology demonstrator is under development, which will be tested soon.
VSSC also has programs focused on applications of space technology including village resource centres, telemedicine
Telemedicine
Telemedicine is the use of telecommunication and information technologies in order to provide clinical health care at a distance. It helps eliminate distance barriers and can improve access to medical services that would often not be consistently available in distant rural communities...
, tele-education, disaster management support and outreach through Direct To Home television broadcast.