Article Posted on : - Dec 15, 2016

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM (PTI): ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar has said composites technology would play a vital role in the future demands of space tourism and space habitat due to its lightweight and better performance.

Inaugurating the golden jubilee of 'Composites Activities' at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) here on Monday, he said the country's achievements in composites technology in the last five decades had been "glorious" and a retrospection was needed to decide the course for the future in this regard.

"Today, people are talking about space tourism, space adventure, space habitation... traversing long distances and creating habitation. In all these, the role of composites in building things, making things happen at much lighter weights and meeting the tremendous demands is all growing," he said.

"Five decades have been glorious (in terms of composites technology). Now, the next one decade, what is going to happen depends on using this challenging technology and achieving greater success in space programmes," he said.

The ISRO chief also mentioned that the journey of composites technology for space applications started with Vikram Sarabhai, then Satish Dhawan and later flourished under the leadership of many stalwarts, producing outstanding results.

Presiding over the function, K Sivan, Director, VSSC said, "Today as one glances upon the gamut of composite products for ISRO's launch vehicles, whether PSLV, GSLV or GSLVMK-III, starting with nozzle to payload fairing, I believe that the journey towards an all-Composite Launch Vehicle is getting closer."

As part of the event, a book with collection of reminiscences of former employees was released. Around 600 members of space community, who have been associated with composite activities, participated in the event.

VSSC officials said composite materials have been used for replicating nature's law to combine different materials in synergy, perform specific functions, and various other applications.

During 1966, scientists at ISRO, envisioned to use this nature's art by engineering the synergy of reinforcement and matrix to develop products for space applications, which can withstand the environmental conditions of launching and space, they said.

Presently, the activity has spread its wings to meet challenging demands for Indian space programme. The activity has now blossomed to deliver a gamut of products in all prestigious missions of ISRO.

An impressive array of composite technology products has performed in PSLV, GSLV, GSLV MKIII, SRE, RLV, ABPP missions as well as in Communication and Remote Sensing satellites, the officials added.