ISRO unveils space tech hub at NIT Rourkela, focuses on future missions

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has inaugurated a new Space Technology Incubation Centre (STIC) at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Rourkela. In a virtual ceremony held on Wednesday, ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan underscored the importance of this milestone, coinciding with the celebrated return of Sunita Williams and her colleagues from the International Space Station.

Dr Narayanan announced that ISRO has ambitious plans ahead, including missions such as the Venus Orbiter, Chandrayaan-4 and Chandrayaan-5, and the Gaganyaan mission, which aims to send Indian astronauts into space for the first time.

Emphasising Collaboration

The ISRO Chairman spoke about the crucial partnerships between ISRO, industrial stakeholders, and academic institutions like the IITs and NITs. He encouraged students at NIT Rourkela to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the STIC, which boasts state-of-the-art facilities and faculty ideal for research in space sciences.

G Harikrishnan, Director of the Capacity Building Programme Office (CBPO) at ISRO, stated that the STIC initiative seeks to strengthen academic foundations, develop proficient human resources, and improve infrastructure, all to propel India's space programme forward. He highlighted the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed four years ago between ISRO and NIT Rourkela, resulting in eight projects with an investment of about ₹1.7 crore.

Nurturing Young Talent

M Ganesh Pillai, Scientific Secretary at ISRO, stressed the importance of nurturing budding talent and fostering cooperation between academia and industry to advance space technology research. Prof K Umamaheshwar Rao, Director of NIT Rourkela, also shared his thoughts at the event.

The new incubation centre will act as a focal point for the eastern region of India, covering states such as Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Managed by ISRO's CBPO, the STIC initiative oversees multiple incubation centres throughout India.