Indigenization of Space Material (ISM) Program

Indigenization of Space Material (ISM) Program

Indigenization of Space Material 

     Indigenization of Space Material (ISM) program was conceived and implemented with the primary objective of a facilitated uninterrupted flow of materials for Indian space programs.

       The efforts put in by ISM team in coordinating and steering activities across:

• All ISRO Centres

• National R&D Institutions

• Industries scaling up material production is highly commendable.

Message from the desk of chairman, steering committee ISM...... Originated with the mandate to facilitate the development and supply of indigenous materials, the ISM program has largely kept pace with meeting the requirements of ISRO.

Dr. P. C. Sharma

Objectives:

• To fulfilled the needs of emerging programs of ISRO.

• Serving the critical need of other advanced technology sectors such as atomic energy and defense.

• Availability of space-qualified material is essential for our national space program.

• State-of-the-art electronic materials play a vital role in the miniaturization of various systems for space applications.

Applications:

• The development of,

1) Ceramic-based DR and Patch Antenna with higher dielectric constant.

2) Kovar Alloy

3) SILVER composite and Alumina substrates for electronic packaging.

• Realisation of superalloy based complex LH2 exhaust unit for cryo engine.

• The latest high-temperature material for programs like RLV-TD and Scramjet engine.

•    Functional material and systems,

1) A magnet for inertial navigation system

2) Li-ion cell of various capacities

3) Bimetallic components

4) Solid film lubricants, etc.

Achievements:

•     About two years of development it brings state-of-the-art processing techniques such as,

1) Hot isostatic pressing

2) Solid-state diffusion bonding

3) Microwave sintering

4) 3D printing, etc.

•  The steering committee is recorded that the hafnium sponge plant is commissioned at C-MET Hyderabad.

•    Past few years have witnessed for development activities,

1) Semi-cryo engine

2) Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV-TD)

3) Air Breathing Propulsion (ABPP)

4) Space and ground segments of IRNSS and GOSAT Programs.

Now, this week we mark the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing the Apollo 11 mission, and those that followed allowed us to examine the makeup of another celestial body 50 years later and with Earth's growing appetite for raw materials.

The race is on to find valuable minerals on the moon and beyond just days ago the Japanese space probe Hayabusa - landed on the asteroid rug over 300 million

 kilometers from Earth.

it's there to take samples from beneath the surface and bring them back home together with France and Germany the Japanese space agency aims to find out what the asteroid is made of and if there might be any valuable raw materials hidden within the project is a world-first with multisampling - landings.

A collection of under surface samples it's awesome the US Space Agency NASA is also examining an asteroid with its

 Osiris-rex probe it's taking samples of the rock to find out what it's made of and hopefully gain some insight into how the earth was formed NASA has also been looking for rare resources on the moon for years.

The rugged crater and moonscape could conceal valuable treasures metals such as gold platinum-iridium and helium-3 gas have all been detected there now it's trying to figure out how to break down these raw materials and transport them to earth for more.

I'm joined by Professor Phil bland the director of Curtin Space Science and Technology Centre in Perth Australia which is down under far away from me a good to have you with us a couple of years ago a space probe landed on a comet now were chasing asteroids to mine for minerals sounds like science fiction.

How real is it I think it's becoming much more real actually just so over the last few years than I ever thought it would be it's interesting we're on both the Hayabusa and Osiris Rex missions it's great to be part of that there are private companies involved in this new and also most major space agencies and what do we hope to find on an asteroid so that we can't mine here on earth.

well, it's I mean there's a kind of a couple of flavors here to this we can find as you said you piece those heavy metals like iridium and and and and and Rama you know platinum and things like.

That but in a way, it's kind of the support industries that we're interested in and for those who need fuel and you need water and we can get that from places like ice on the moon all right but the moon isn't right next door asteroids certainly aren't all such missions are very costly a bigger business proposition is space mining.

Then I think so so NASA and Chinese Space Agency and ISA all have a program to go back to the moon over the next few years if you can get fuel and water there versus carrying it all the way that's a really big deal so in terms of you know you save a huge amount of money for every kilo you can find there versus what you can bring here.

So it's a huge support for those missions and of course you I mean you mentioned it there's a lot of cooperation going on when it comes to space missions between nations like the United States and Europe once you get there how do you determine.

The miming rides on an extraterrestrial object it's difficult enough here on earth that's an excellent question actually right now there are no mining rights so so you can't legally make money mining asteroids and bring it back worse if you use that material to make fuel.

I think that's okay but there are some very old treaties in there and those need to change before this becomes an industry all right a professor field lander the director of Curtin Space Science and Technology Center in Perth Australia thank you so much for your time and your insights