IIT-Kharagpur on Nasa radar

Expertise in radar technology and its successful association with the Indian Space Research Organization (Isro) over the years may soon make the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, eligible for a partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) for a collaborative research. The presence of two scientists from the premier space research agency in Kharagpur on Monday fanned speculations that IIT-Kharagpur has evolved as the front-runner for the coveted tie-up.

After the success of Chandrayaan, Mangalayaan and the four-year partnership for an oceanic wind measuring radar - Scatterometer - the next most talked about futuristic collaborative project would be the NI-SAR, or the Nasa-Isro radar mission. The radar, which is yet to receive final clearance from the respective governments, is one of the most discussed scientific projects in the country at present, specially because of the precision with which it promises to pre-empt natural calamities.

IIT Kharagpur's aerospace engineering department, through its high-profile Kalpana Chawla Space Research Centre, is already spearheading crucial radar-related research along with Isro. "Such radar technology inputs can be utilized successfully for NI-SAR related research as well," said Alok Chatterjee, a Nasa scientist who is also a 1973 batch alumnus of the institute. He was accompanied by Paul Rosen, his colleague at Nasa.

The duo on Monday discussed with PP Chakraborty, the director of the institute, the possibilities of the institute starting a NI-SAR oriented collaboration with Isro soon. "This will automatically link up the institute with Nasa. In the NI-SAR research, there will be a radar that will collect data through two bands - the 'L' band that will be managed by Isro and the 'S' band to be handled by Nasa. The data will then be shared for final computations to determine tectonic movements of the earth that lead to earthquakes, tidal wave surge, melting of glaciers and rise in sea level," Rosen explained. "Such research will help in managing disaster to a large extent," he added.

"Since Isro chairman K Radhakrishnan is an IIT-Kharagpur alumnus, it will give added impetus to the collaboration," Chakraborty said.

NI-SAR is a multi-million dollar project that will be partially funded by Nasa and Isro. "If $73 and $83 million were spent on the Chandrayaan and the Mangalayaan projects, respectively, NI-SAR should cost around $100 million," Chatterjee explained.

 

 

 

Source : TOI , 26th Nov 2013