ISRO chairman unveils research centre at IIT Madras

Dr V Narayanan, chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched a new research centre at IIT Madras recently. The ‘Shri S Ramakrishnan Centre of Excellence in Fluid and Thermal Science Research’ will promote self-reliance in advanced space technologies and attract global talent and research funding. This will position India as a leader in thermal sciences research for space applications.

This state-of-the-art research facility, housed at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, will focus on critical advancements in spacecraft and launch vehicle thermal management—a key area for India’s expanding space ambitions.

Shri S Ramakrishnan was a distinguished alumnus of IIT Madras. The Padma Shri awardee was a distinguished aerospace engineer with accomplishments in the arena of launch vehicle engineering and development. Also during the occasion, the ‘Arcot Ramachandran Seminar Hall’ was also inaugurated by Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras.

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Roles of the centre

Spacecraft and launch vehicle thermal management: Addressing heat dissipation challenges in satellites and launch vehicles

Experimental and numerical studies on cooling systems: Developing efficient cooling solutions using micro heat pipes, spray cooling, vapour chambers, and two-phase heat transfer devices

High-fidelity simulation & testing facilities: Utilizing cutting-edge computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and experimental setups for real-world validation