SHSC SHAR Centre, Sriharikota

Report on SHSC SHAR Centre, Sriharikota

Report on industrial visit to SHATISH DAWN SPACE CENTER (SDSC) SHAR, SRIHARIKOTA, NELLORE Distt /by IV B.Tech ECE A, B – 100  students on 01-02-2018

It gave us immense pleasure in visiting SATISH DAWN SPACE CENTER (SDSC) SHAR, SRIHARIKOTA, NELLORE Distt on 01-02-2018. SDSC SHAR is one of India’s primary space center subordinated to Vikram Sarabhai Space Center Indian Research Organization –department of Space, founded by Government of India and involved in the launch complexes provide complete support for vehicle assembly, fuelling, checkout and launch operations. Apart from these, it has facilities for launching sounding rockets meant for studying the earth’s atmosphere.

As a part of it, we covered SHAR LIBRARY, LAUNCH PAD 1, STATIC TEST CENTER, TELEMETRY AND TRACKING CENTER, and MISSION CONTROL ROOM. The technical information provided by the SDSCD SHAR team is so informative and details of them are enclosed.

Finally, with the kind cooperation of the students, the coordinators and the technical team of SDSC SHAR, the visit went on successfully. We thank the management for providing such an opportunity to visit SDSC SHAR.

India has established a strong infrastructure for executing its space programme. They include facilities for the development of satellites and launch vehicles and their testing; launch infrastructure for sounding rockets and Satellite Launch vehicles; telemetry, tracking and Command Window, data reception and Processing Systems for remote sensing. A number of academic and research institutions as well as industries participate in the Indian Space Programme. Several Indian industries have the expertise to undertake sophisticated jobs required for space systems.

Among them SDSC SHAR is one of India’s primary space center subordinated to Vikram Sarabhai Space Center Indian Research Organization –department of Space, founded by Government of India and involved in the launch complexes provide complete support for vehicle assembly, fuelling, checkout and launch operations

The Centre has two operational orbital launch pads. SHAR is ISRO’s satellite launching base and additionally provides launch facilities for the full range. The Vehicle Assembly, Static Test and Evaluation Complex (VAST, previously STEX) and the Solid Propellant Space Booster Plant (SPROB) are located at SHAR for casting and testing solid motors. The site also has a Telemetry Tracking & Control centre, Liquid Propellant Storage and Servicing Facilities (LSSF), the Management Service Group and Sriharikota Common Facilities. The launch complex was commissioned in 1990. It has a 3,000 tonne, 76.5 m high Mobile Service Tower (MST) which provides the SP-3 payload clean room.

The solid propellant space booster plant (SPROB) processes large size propellant grains for the satellite launch vehicles. The Static Test & Evaluation Complex (STEX) tests and qualifies different types of solid motor for launch vehicles. The closed centre at SHAR houses computers and data processing, closed circuit television, real-time tracking systems and meteorological observation equipment. It is linked to three radars located at Sriharikota and the five stations of ISRO’s Telemetry, Tracking & Command Network.

The propellant production plant produces composite solid propellant for rocket motors of ISRO using ammonium perchlorate (oxidiser), fine aluminium powder (fuel) and hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (binder). The solid motors processed here include those for the first stage booster motor of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) — a five segmented motor of 2.8 m diameter and 22 m length, weighing 160 tons with a thrust level of 450 tons.