Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

Transcription

1 Chapter III Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre 3.0 Introduction In 1961 the Government of India entrusted the subject of Space Research and peaceful uses of outer space to the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) functioning under Dr. Homi J Bhabha. The very next year the DAE set up the 'Indian National Committee on Space Research' (INCOSPAR) with Prof. Vikram A.Sarabhai as Chairman to advise and organise the national space programme. In 1969 the INCOSPAR was reconstituted as an advisory body under the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was created under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) to actually conduct the space programme in the country. In the year 1972 the Government of India set up the Space Commission and created a new Department called the Department of Space (DOS). ISRO now came under the DOS as its research and developmental wing. While the Space Commission lays down the policy, the DOS actually executes those policies through the ISRO. The Secretary, DOS is also the Chairman of both the Space Commission and the ISRO. This set up continues till today. 61

2 3.1 Origin of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre stands as the premier R&D centre for rocketry in ISRO and has its genesis in the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), which became operational on November 21, 1963 when the first Nike Apache rocket was launched successfully from Thumba. The TERLS was sponsored as an International Sounding Rocket Facility and dedicated to the United Nations on February 2,1968 by the Prime Minister of India, Smt. Indira Gandhi. In December 30, 1971 Prof. Vikram A.Sarabhai passed away. After his death, the whole complex comprising TERLS, the Space Science & Technology Centre (SSTC), the Rocket Propellant Plant (RPP), the Rocket Fabrication Facility (RFF) and the Propellant Fuel Complex (PFC) was designated as the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), in memory of the man to whom it owes its existence. 3.2 Centre's approach to R &0 Today VSSC stands as the largest centre of all ISRO units and is charged with the responsibility of developing sounding rockets, launch vehicles and certain technologies associated with spacecraft. The centre discharges this responsibility by a two prolonged approach: 62

3 1. by supporting in-house, R&D programmes in all major fields of relevance to space technology and 2. by maximizing the utilization of (a) available industrial infrastructure in the country and (b) expertise available with the academic and research institutions. 3.3 Organisation of V55C To carry out R&D in rocketry, the centre is divided into many entities, groups and divisions dealing with Aerospace dynamics, Avionics, Propellants & Chemicals, Propulsion, System reliability, Computer and Information, Mechanical Engineering, Composites, Materials, Programme Planning and Evaluation and Administration. The total organisational setup is represented in Figure 1 63

4 Figure 1 Organisational setup of VSSC Aeronautics Entity (AERO) Avionics Entity (AVN) System Reliability Entity (SR) Administration Mechanical Engineering Entity (MEE) Composites Entity (CMSE) Propellants, Polymers, Chemicals & materials Entity (PCM) Propulsion, Propellants & Space Ordinance Entity (PRSO) Control, Guidance & Simulation Entity (CGSE) Mechanisms& Vehicle Integration Testing Entity (MVIT) Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle Project (GSLV) Director VSSC Space Physics Laboratory (SPL) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle Project (PSLV) Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle Project Mk III (GSLV) Rohini Sounding Rockets Project (RSR) Space Capsule Recovery Experiment Project (SRE) RLV - TD Project Management Systems Area (MSA) Computer & Information Group (CIG) Air breathing Propulsion Project (ABPP) Launch Vehicle Design Entity (LVDE) 64

5 3.3.1 Aeronautics Entity (AERO) This is a major entity at VSSC. It undertakes crucial responsibilities like design, analysis, development and testing related to important systems for the launch vehicle programmes Avionics Entity (AVN) This is engaged in the design, development, qualification and production of Avionics systems for use in launch vehicle and sounding rocket programmes Systems Reliability Entity (SR) The systems reliability entity supports the quality and reliability activities of all launch vehicles, sounding rockets and spacecraft elements made in VSSC in a variety of areas through the different divisions attached to it Composite Entity (CMSE) Composite entity is engaged in design, development, qualification and production of composite products for ISRO's programmes including launch vehicles, spacecrafts and other ground-based applications. 65

6 3.3.5 Mechanical Engineering Entity (MEE) The MEE entity is concerned with the development of manufacturing technology, re-engineering of product design for improving quality, reliability and optimizing the cost of material and manufacture; computer aidea design, analysis, drafting and also design and development of special purpose machines Launch Vehicle Design Entity (LVDE) This is a multidisciplinary group entrusted with overall launch vehicle architecture evaluation, mission design, system engineering and simulation studies pertaining to vehicle and mission (V&M) aspects. The group is also responsible optimally configuring cost effective advanced launch systems to serve ISRO in the coming decades Propellants, Polymers, Chemicals and Materials Entity (PCM) Indigenous availability of space materials is the prime requisite for meeting the space programmes. The Propellants, Polymers, Chemicals and Materials Entity is engaged in the development of structural materials, special purpose materials, composites, electronic materials, electro optical materials, electro chemical systems, solid and liquid propellants, oxidiser, polymers and special chemicals. 66

7 3.3.8 Propulsion, Propellants an.d Space Ordnance Entity (PRSO) The Propulsion, Propellants and Space Ordnance entity is vested with the development and realisation with respect to hardware for solid rocket motors, propulsive systems and propellants, parametric studies of combustion and generation of related software, pyrotechnic systems for ignition of rocket motors, separation of hardware etc Control, Guidance and Simulation Entity (CGSE) This entity is responsible to carry out the software and simulation activities of control & guidance systems for all launch vehicle missions. This includes the design, development and realization of digital autopilot and guidance flight software as well simulation activities Mechanisms and Vehicle Integration Testing Entity (MVIT) The Mechanisms and Vehicle Integration Testing Entity (MVIT) in VSSC, comprises Launch Vehicle Integration and Checkout Group (LVIG) and Aerospace Mechanism Group (ASMG). The activities include mechanical/electrical integration and testing of launch vehicles and payloads, finalisation of electrical and mechanical interfaces, development, realisation and operation of checkout systems and carrying out launch operations. 67

8 Management Systems Area (MSA) Management systems area embraces activities directly connected with planning, decision-making, policy formulation and house keeping. It encompasses areas such as planning and evaluation of human resource development, training, budget control and manpower deployment, technology transfer and industry coordination, technical documentation and archival, publicity, space museum and photography Computer and Information Group (CIG) Computer and Information group meets all the computational requirements and management of information systems required for day-to-day functioning of the center. CIG is vested with the responsibility to carry out Network management, Database software development and maintenance of library with all modern facility Space Physics Laboratory (SPL) Fundamental researches in space sciences are being carried out in SPL. Research activities are spread over a wide range of disciplines. 68

9 3.4 Manpower in VSSC The VSSC has grown into a giant complex to become the major technological base of the ISRO. The manpower in VSSC was less than dozen in the beginning has grown over the years, to the present strength of over 5000 engineers, scientists and other supporting staff. The growth of manpower in VSSC is shown in the Table 1 as well as Figure 2. From the table and figure it is seen that the manpower has a steady growth except the year 1988 in which a slight decrease occurred. A steady decrease in manpower from 1997 onwards is to be noted. 69

10 Table 1 Growth of manpower in VSSC Year Scientific Administrative Total Staff &Technical Staff Staff Strength NA NA NA NA NA NA NA - details not available at the time of collecting data 70

11 -..l... tg o m1983.., ~ o oo '\ "" ""'I'-... ~ No. of Employees I'\.) 0J ~ ~ 1\ \ \. (J1 (j) o o.0 oo o \. '\ \ "\ / \.. \ j J J I /.I J G) a ~ ::T o-+\ 3 :::!1 Q:l(Q ::J C "8ro ~I\) CD..., ::J <(f) (f) ()

12 3.5 The VSSC Library Library is an important part of the information system in any R&D organization. So, it may be more appropriate, at this stage, to explain the background and status of the VSSC library used by the Space Technologists. The VSSC library had a very modest beginning in 1964 when it started at the Bishop's house in Thumba. There were only about 1000 documents and a tiny reading room. Later in 1969 it was shifted to its present location on the Veli hills, where it saw fast growth in size (now spread over 4250 square meters), staff-strength and readership, keeping pace with the other technological advancements in the center and now become a major technical library in India with unique resources in the multidisciplinary areas of space science and technology. It caters to the information needs of scientific and technical personnel of VSSC, LPSC and IISU for their R&D activities, Projects, and Facilities. This Library has been attracting academic community from Thiruvananthapuram and adjacent towns. All the Library services are extended through the Branch Library located at IISU Complex (Vattiyoorkavu) and Documentation Cells, PSLV/ MVIT (Valiamala Complex) Library collections Library has developed well-balanced collection over the years in the areas of aerospace engineering, computer science, electronics, material 72

13 science, space physics, metallurgy, chemical engineering etc. with constant vigil on the quality of collection. Collection is kept current by a policy of progressive segregation of less used books and subsequent weeding out. This library is developing a well-balanced collection of books, journals, reports, standards and non-conventional materials like microfiche and Compact Discs (CDs) to meet the growing information requirements of the Space Technologists in the center. The Table 2 presents the growth pattern of VSSC library collections. A steep increase in almost all types of collection is quite clear from the table. 73

14 Table 2 VSSC Library Collections at a glance Year BK RP MF 8T BP CP HB CD FM NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA Note: BK-Books RP- Reports MF-Microfiche ST-Standards BP-Bound Periodicals CP-Current Periodicals HB-Hindi Books CD-CO-Roms FM-Films 74

15 3.5.2 Library Services The library is providing variety of information services to meet the information requirements in the center. One of the unique services is Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC), which provides online access to the library resources not only within the center but the resources can be accessed from other ISRO centers. A streamlined library services like SDI, CAS, Patent News, Press News Clippings, Content Page Service, Literature Search, Print on paper, Internet search, CD-ROM search, Translation Service etc are provided to the library users to keep them up to date in their field. Besides, it has supporting facilities such as reprography, binding, audio-visual, and conference facilities. 75

16 References 1. Central Documentation Division, VSSC. 20 years of rocketry in Thumba Department of Space, Government of India. Annual Report Department of Space, Government of India. Annual Report Department of Space, Government of India. Annual Report , Department of Space, Government of India. Annual Report Department of Space, Government of India, Annual Report Department of Space, Government of India. Annual Report Department of Space, Government of India. VSSC. Annual Report