List of Space and Nuclear Research Centres in India

Over the years, India has tremendously progressed in the scientific field. However, its excellence in space and nuclear studies is paramount and cannot be compared with anything else. The nation has come a long way in the past century with dedicated works of all countries’ space and nuclear research centres. They have created milestones for which the entire world has appreciated them. For example, when the Indian Space Research Organization launched 104 satellites on January 15, 2017, it gained a lot of praise because this was the first time any space research centre had released such a massive number of sun-synchronous satellites in space. Similarly, in 2015, a bulletin declared that India had manufactured 120 warheads. Such outstanding achievements result from establishing different space and nuclear research centres in India and the passionate professionals working in this sector.

List of all necessary space and nuclear research centres in India

Following is a list of the most crucial space and nuclear research centres in India:

1. Indian Space Research Organisation
2. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
3. Atomic Energy Commission
4. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
5. Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics
6. Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
7. Centre of Earth Science Studies
8. Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research

A brief walk through the famous Indian space and nuclear research centres

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)

The Indian Space Research Organisation or ISRO is concerned with all the preliminary works related to space in our country. It has several full-launch pads, an Indian Satellite System, weather satellites, and more. Over the years, ISRO has manufactured and deployed several launch vehicles, of which some prominent ones are Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3), Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), GeoSynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), and more. The organisation is also concerned with producing warheads and weapons, geosynchronous satellites, communication satellites, and more.

Some notable achievements of ISRO are:

•         In 2007, ISRO launched the Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE-1).
•       INSAT, India’s most extensive domestic communication system, was launched in 1983.
•         RLV, or Reusable Launch Vehicle, took its first flight ever on May 23, 2016.
•         Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle carried 1440 kg load in 2015.

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

Bhabha Atomic Research Center BARC handles most of India’s nuclear works. It has seven reactors (Dhruva, Cirus, Apsara, Purnima I, Zerline, Purnima II, Purnima III), fast breeder and heavy water reactors, etc. Its primary goal is to harness nuclear power and use it to produce energy that can be supplied to residential and industrial sectors. Apart from this, BARC specialises in making nuclear reactors for submarines, launch pads for nuclear missiles, transforming crude uranium imported from other countries like Canada and Australia, and more.

Over the years, BARC has achieved remarkable successes in terms of nuclear physics and atomic energy.

•         BARC conducted a series of five nuclear tests, also known as Pokhran-II, in 1998.
•         It designed and constructed the Indian Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor-220.
•         Since 1991, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has developed over 20 supercomputers.

Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research

Apart from BARC, another major nuclear and atomic centre is the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research. Its primary mission is to conduct studies and develop fast breeder reactors. One of its notable fast breeder reactors is the Kamini reactor, where a mix of uranium-plutonium carbide fuel is used. Presently, it is concerned with designing and developing the 500 MWe fast breeder reactor.

Some significant milestones that IGCAR has achieved over time are:

•         In 1983, it commissioned the construction of 2 MV accelerators (tandem-based).
•         The Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer was installed in 1989 for more efficient surface analysis.
•         In 2010, the Radiometallurgy laboratory working under IGCAR completed twenty-five years of successful operations/

Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre works under ISRO and is concerned with the launch vehicles and conducts research about different rockets and satellites. It mainly works in aerodynamics, simulation and control, solid propulsion studies and research, launch vehicle integration, and more. Apart from this, the organisation is concerned with studies about the atmosphere.

Here is a brief description of some of the notable works VSSC has done so far:

•         On November 20, 1967, VSSC launched India’s first sounding rocket, the RH-75.
•         It conducted the successful launch of Chandrayaan-I on October 22, 2003.

Conclusion

From Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre to the BARC, these organisations have played a crucial role in taking India up several notches in space and atomic studies. Despite having limited funds, lack of advanced resources, political pressure, and other problems, they have successfully launched lunar missions, sent satellites and human robots to Mars, set up several nuclear reactors to harness the energy, and constructed nuclear warhead loaded submarines. These organisations work closely with the Department of Atomic Energy, DRDO, and other such institutes to ensure that improvements can be introduced in India’s defence, communication, surveillance, monitoring, and more.