Space Research Centers in India

The Indian Space Research Organisation is the national space agency of India and its headquarter is located in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Vikram Sarabhai is known as the founding father of India's Space program due to his outstanding efforts.

ISRO was first started as Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) in 1962 and later in 1969, it was renamed as ISRO.

Space Research Centers in India

1 Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC):

It is located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala and is a major space research centre of ISRO.

• It is mainly focused on launching rockets and satellite
• It started in 1962 as the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS)
• It was later renamed Vikram Sarabhai Space Center in honour of Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the father of the Indian space program

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2 Indian Space Research Organisation:

It is the primary space agency of India with its headquarter in Bengaluru.

• It is the main centre to manufacture major Indian Satellites
• Satish Dhawan Space Centre,Sriharikota is the main center of ISRO

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3 Space Applications Centre (SAC):

It is a research institute located in Ahmedabad and works under the supervision of ISRO.

• It is one of the major centres of ISRO

Its prime focus is to research, develop and demonstrate applications of space technology in the field of telecommunication, remote sensing, meteorology and satellite navigation.

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4 Satish Dhawan Space Centre or Sriharikota Range (SHAR):

It is a rocket launch centre operated by ISRO and it is located in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

• It is currently the only spaceport in India
• It was renamed after ISRO's former Chairman Satish Dhawan in 2002

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5 Master Control Facility (MCF):

It is located in Hassan, Karnataka and is a facility set up by ISRO to monitor and control the geostationary and geosynchronous satellites launched by ISRO.

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6 Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC):

It is a research and development centre under ISRO. It has two units located at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, and Bengaluru, Karnataka.

• ISRO Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri of Tamil Nadu is working on expanding LPSC
• LPSC is engaged in the development of liquid and cryogenic propulsion stages for launch vehicles and auxiliary propulsion systems for both launch vehicles and satellites

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7 ISRO Inertial System Unit:

It is located in Thiruvananthapuram and is a research and development unit of ISRO specialising in inertial sensors and systems in satellite technology.

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8 National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC):

It is located in Hyderabad and is one of the centres of ISRO.

• It is a key player in Earth Observation Programme and Disaster Management Support programme
• It is responsible for the acquisition, processing, supply of aerial and satellite remote sensing data
• It also plays a key role in continuously exploring the practical uses of remote sensing technology for multilevel (global to local) applications
• NRSC also provides the necessary trained manpower through capacity building in remote sensing applications

9 Development and Education Communication Unit (DECU):

It is located in Ahmedabad with an aim to navigate the potential of space technology as an important tool to support education and development efforts in the country (Doordarshan, social science research, Surveys & Policies etc.)

10 ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC):

Its headquarter is located in Bengaluru. Over the years, ISRO has established a large network of ground stations to provide Telemetry, Tracking and Command (TTC) support to satellite and launch vehicle missions.

All these facilities are put together under ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC).