Space Applications Centre

This article is about the institution in Ahmedabad, India. For other uses, see Space Applications Centre (disambiguation).

Space Applications Centre

SAC logo
Agency overview
Abbreviation	SAC
Formed	October 25, 1972
Type	Space agency
Headquarters	Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Administrator	Nilesh.M.Desai[1] (Director)
Website	https://www.sac.gov.in

Space Applications Centre (SAC) is an institution of research in Ahmedabad under the aegis of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is one of the major centres of ISRO that is engaged in the research, development and demonstration of applications of space technology in the field of telecommunications, remote sensing, meteorology and satellite navigation (Sat Nav). This includes research and development of on-board systems, ground systems and end user equipment hardware and software. SAC has three campuses, two of which are located at Ahmedabad and one at Delhi. The current director of the centre is Nilesh M Desai.^[2]

Achievements

Inscription at gate

Some of the achievements of the Space Applications Centre include development of communication and meteorological payloads for INSAT satellites, optical and microwave payloads for IRS satellites. SAC provides its infrastructure to conduct training courses to the students of the Center for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and The Pacific (CSSTEAP). It was founded by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai.^[3]

On 19 March 2021, SAC in a major breakthrough demonstrated free space quantum communication technology at a distance of 300 meters between two buildings through live video conferencing as part of Quantum Experiments using Satellite Technology (QuEST) project. The primary objective is to successfully perform satellite based quantum communication between two ISRO ground station.^[4][5] Hardware developed for performing the experiment includes NavIC receiver for time synchronization between transmitter and receiver, gimbal mechanism systems as an alternative to large aperture telescope for optical alignment.^[6]

Collaborations between SAC Ahmedabad and National Institute of Design, Gujarat began in the early 1970s.^[7][8]

Commercialization

A memorandum of understanding was signed on September 30, 2024, between Bharat Electronics and the Space Applications Centre, pertaining to collaboration, indigenization, and infrastructure development for the production of space-grade Travelling Wave Tube Amplifiers.^[9]

References

1. "Nilesh. M. Desai is new Director of Space Applications centre". SAC Website. 23 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
2. "'Student of science but 13 is my lucky number': ISRO SAC director Nilesh Desai after being conferred with honorary doctorate at GTU". The Indian Express. 20 January 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
3. "Dr. Vikram A. Sarabhai". Retrieved 26 March 2019.
4. Kumar, Chethan (22 March 2021). "ISRO demonstrates quantum comm tech; to extend it to satellite next". Times of India. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
5. Sagar, Ram (23 March 2021). "ISRO Makes A Quantum Communication Breakthrough: India Joins An Elite List Of Nations". Analytics India Magazine. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
6. "ISRO, Like DRDO, Achieves Quantum Communication: What Is Quantum Key Distribution". Dataquest. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
7. "NID Ahmedabad sets up Railway Design Centre for coaches, stations". DeshGujarat. 13 June 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
8. National Institute of Design (2013). 50 years of the National Institute of Design, 1961-2011. Ahmedabad. ISBN 978-81-86199-71-8. OCLC 871374480.
9. "BEL inks pact with SAC-ISRO to boost indigenisation of defence and space production". The Economic Times. 30 September 2024. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 30 September 2024.

External links

• Space Applications Centre website
• ISRO SAC page
• CSSTEAP website

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