RESPOND & AI Capacity Building Programme Office ISRO HQ, Bengaluru RESPOND & AI Capacity Building Programme Office ISRO HQ, Bengaluru RESEARCH AREAS IN SPACE A Document for Preparing Research Project Proposals RESPOND & AI Capacity Building Programme Office ISRO HQ, Bengaluru November 2018 Technical Guidance and compilation Nirupama Tiwari, Sci/ Engr SE, CBPO M A Paul, Deputy Director, RESPOND & AI, CBPO For any queries please contact Director, Capacity Building Programme Office (CBPO) Indian Space Research Organisation HQ Department of Space Government of India Antariksh Bhavan New BEL Road Bangalore 560094 E-mail: [email protected] Deputy Director, RESPOND & Academic Interface Indian Space Research Organisation HQ Department of Space Government of India Antariksh Bhavan New BEL Road Bangalore 560094 E-mail: [email protected] preface I am extremely delighted to bring out the current edition of the Research Area Document. This comprehensive document is exclusively prepared to highlight the major programmes of ISRO and the current and upcoming Research and Development requirements. As you may be aware, ISRO is embarking upon many new areas of Science and Technology by taking up challenging technological assignments incessantly. In this important task of National Importance, ISRO is looking for wider participation and contributions from academia in a focused manner for timely accomplishments of its goals. In view of this, the concept of ISRO Academia day is brought out. The main aim behind this is to showcase the emerging research and development areas of ISRO, so that the faculty of the academic institutions can take up the research projects in the area of their specialization and expertise. A “Research Areas In Space” document has been brought out to enable the interested researchers to choose the topics. The document is split into five major Programmes of ISRO namely Launch Vehicle, Satellite Communications Programme, Earth Observations Programme, Space Science Programme and Meteorology. The document has been compiled and worked out in a precise manner by RESPOND Team, CBPO, ISRO HQs in consultation with the different Centres of ISRO to enable Faculty/ Researchers at Academic Institutions to prepare suitable proposals of relevance to ISRO. I wish all the best and warmly invite academia to come forward and participate in R & D programme of ISRO. P V Venkitakrishnan Director, Capacity Building Programme Office ISRO Head Quarters, Bengaluru Introduction Sponsored Research Programme (RESPOND) under the aegis of Capacity Building Programme Offi ce (CBPO) of ISRO is a unique initiative of the Indian Space Research Organisation to promote Research and Development activities in collaboration with Academia. The main objective of the RESPOND Programme is to establish strong links with academic institutions in the country to carry out research and developmental projects which are of relevance to space programme and hence contribute in various space related activities. Under RESPOND, fi nancial support is provided to Academic Institutions within the country to carry out research projects in a wide range of topics in space technology, space science and space applications. Presently, there are around 186 projects ongoing under RESPOND scheme. Projects are in the areas like rocket and satellite technology, propulsion system design and optimization, aerodynamics and heat transfer problem related to space vehicles, guidance and control for launch vehicles and spacecraft, propellant technology, ultra-light-weight structure, satellite energy systems, space electronics, space communication systems, orbital mechanics, computer sciences and new material development, remote sensing of the earth’s resources: space communication, satellite geodesy image processing, satellite meteorology including weather forecasting, physics of the ionosphere and magnetosphere, meteorology, dynamics of the atmosphere, geophysics, geology, astronomy, cosmology, astrophysics; planetary and interplanetary space physics, climatology etc. To enable faculty of Universities/Institutes to prepare suitable proposals of relevance to Space programme, a detailed list of R&D areas/sub areas/topics/ problems and a brief write up have been provided about major programmes of ISRO and the same has been given in this document “ Research Areas in Space”. The concerned ISRO/DOS centre to be approached by the faculty/researcher is given in the brackets after areas/sub areas/topics/problems. The faculty/ researcher may select a suitable topic/problem and prepare the proposal and submit to the concerned centre/unit for consideration. The proposals may be submitted to the Director of concerned centre as given in Annexure 1. Hope this document highlighting brief outline and possible set of topics for various research themes would help the academia to prepare research proposals under RESPOND programme of ISRO. The proposal submission format and other necessary details are available in the ISRO web site under the link www.isro.gov. in/research-and-academia-interface/submission-of-research-proposal. CONTENTS Sl. No. Programmes and Areas Page No 1.0 Launch Vehicle A Aerospace Engineering 1-9 B Propulsion 10-19 C Propellants, Polymers & Chemicals 20-28 D Control, Guidance & simulation 28-29 E Materials & Metallurgy 29-35 F Composites 35-40 G Transducers & Sensors 40-41 H Structures & Fabrication 41-51 I Avionics 51-57 J Launch Vehicle Inertial Systems Area 57-58 K Advanced Inertial Systems Area 58-59 L Mechanical Design and Production Group 59 M Launch vehicle tracking system, Range 60-64 Operation, System Engineeing N Project and Programme Management 64-66 O Testing of liquid propulsion system 66-79 2.0 Satellite Communication A SATCOM Applications 81 B Electronics Support Services 81-89 C Antenna 89-94 D Mission Development Area 94-97 E Communication and Power 98-99 F Integration and Checkout 100 G Mechanical Systems 101-109 H Controls and Digital 109-112 I Reliability and Components 112-114 J Systems Production 114 K VLSI Design 114-117 L CMOS Process Technology 117-121 M MEMS Design & Process Technology 121-122 N SATCOM & Navigation Payload 122-134 O SATCOM & SATNAV Applications & 134-142 Associated Technologies P Mechanical Engineering Systems 143-145 Sl. No. Programmes and Areas Page No Q Systems Reliability 145-146 R Material Characterization 146-148 S Semiconductors 148 T Spacecraft Inertial Systems Area 149-151 U Bearing and Space Tribology 151 3.0 Earth Observations A Mission development and Remote 153-169 Sensing-Sensor Technology B Remote Sensing Signal and Image 169-180 Processing and Software Development C Satellite Data Reception & Ground Station 181-184 D Earth, Ocean Sciences Applications 185-223 E Aerial Remote Sensing 223-225 F Earth and climate sciences 225-232 G Disaster Management 233-237 H Urban and Regional Studies/Processes 237-240 4.0 Space Sciences A Investigation on Near Earth Environment 241-242 B Atmospheric dynamics and coupling 242-244 C Sun and Solar System 244-247 D Astronomy and Astrophysics 247-248 E Space Instrumentation 248-250 F Remote sensing data analysis from 250-251 Planetary Exploration Missions G Laboratory study of Astromaterials 252 H Study of terrestrial analogues of Moon and 252 Mars I Payloads for upcoming Planetary Missions 252 5.0 Meteorology A Weather and Climate 253-257 B Space Physics 257-259 C Signal and Data processing 259-260 D Radar and Lidar instrumentation for 260-262 atmospheric probing Annexure-1 263-264 Launch Vehicle 1.0 Launch Vehicle Programme A Area Aerospace Engineering (VSSC) A1 Sub Area Aerodynamics and Aero Thermal Engineering (VSSC) A1.1 Estimation of gaseous radiation during interplanetary missions (VSSC) Planetary entry missions involve penetration of its atmosphere at very high entry velocities. The external surface of entry body is exposed to extreme heating rates owing to dissipation of its large kinetic energy. Strong shocks are formed ahead of the entering body increasing the internal energy of entrapped gas. Gas within the shock layer attains very high temperature levels leading to thermochemical non-equilibrium. Gaseous radiation becomes significant in such conditions. Both equilibrium and non-equilibrium air radiation have to be modeled for estimation of radiative heating. Number densities of various chemical species, translational, rotational and vibrational temperatures of heavy particles and electrons are to be evaluated for modeling emission and absorption characteristics of air under these conditions. Available database on radiative properties incorporating spectral absorption and emission behavior of gases at high temperature are to be used. The proposed study should focus on establishing a methodology for evaluation of gas radiation for planetary entries. Comparison of estimated gas radiation levels with available measurements in literature is essential for validation. A1.2 Flow field over a double delta wing configuration (VSSC) Heat flux data for the double delta configuration is important, especially for regions of shock-shock interaction, leeward region flow, base flow, fuselage wing interaction for accurate distribution of TPS and for mass optimization. It is proposed that experimental heat flux measurements on the above region on ISRO’s RLV may be attempted at flow enthalpies of about 2 MJ.kg, M = 6.6, To = 1700 – 1800 K. Diagnostic shall be (a) heat flux (b) liquid crystal thermography/IR thermography (c) Flow visualization. The generated data shall be compared with the predictions, and suggestions