Vikram SaraBhai Space Centre
Vikram SaraBhai Space Centre (VSSC) is the lead Centre for development of satellite launch vehicles and associated technologies. The Centre pursues active research and development in a host of distinct technology domains like aeronautics, avionics, composites, etc with a view to achieve self-reliance in the high tech realm of launch vehicle technology.The modern era of space research in India can be said to have formally started in 1961 when the Government of India entrusted the study of the subject of space research and of the peaceful uses of outer space to the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), functioning under the able leadership of Dr. Homi J Bhabha. In 1962 DAE set up Indian National Committee for space Research (INCOSPAR) with Prof. Vikram Sarabhai as chairman to organize a national space programme. One of the first things that INCOSPAR took up was the establishment of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) at Thumba, near Thiruvananthapuram