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Technology Transfer During the year, know-how for seven technologies was licensed to Indian industries for commercialisation bringing the total number of technology transfers to 268. The technologies span a wide spectrum ranging from electro-mechanical, chemical and optics hardware to specialised software. They represent a range of applications for industrial and societal purposes including several spin offs. Prominent among the technologies licensed during the year is the know-how for synthesis of various types of thermal protection systems based on Poly Dimethyl Siloxane. Siloxanes find extensive applications as thermal barrier coating systems, especially as flame retardant. Several technologies that were developed primarily for space applications, but possess spin off applications, were licensed to private industries for commercialisation during the year. They include: PC based direct archival and quick look system and PC based servo control system. The former is to replace high-density digital cassette recorders in earth stations, air-borne systems and ship-borne systems. The latter, which is a combination of servo control unit and a PC, is expected to replace the presently used antenna control unit and has demand for both the existing ground stations and new stations. Surface finishing technologies used primarily for the surface finishing of spacecraft hardware elements have found applications elsewhere and the process of electroless nickel plating on aluminium was licensed to a private industry for commercialisation during the year. The aerodynamic simulation software package, the PARallel Aerodynamic Simulator (PARAS) continues to generate interest in aerospace companies. In the space applications area, the digital sound and data broadcast Receivers licensed by ISRO has been successfully productionised by a private company. The mobile portable MSS Type-D terminals manufactured by ISRO licensee were demonstrated in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and were very effective during the tsunami disaster that hit the islands in December 2004. MSS Type-C and Type-D terminals were demonstrated in Assam during floods in September 2004. Prototype units of MSS reporting terminals were successfully completed and testing of the units was carried out through satellite link by the industry. Breach system pyro device is ready for regular production and supply. In-house developed rope cutters and trigger assemblies are being utilised in aircraft fire extinguisher. The technologies that are in advanced stage for licensing include nickel hydrazine nitrate,a less shock sensitive explosive to replace lead azide and high temperature resin for use in the engine parts, the precursor material for producing carbon fibres - Poly Acrylonitrile, Poly Urethane based insulation materials for spin off applications. The technologies that are in the pipeline for transfer include apparatus for experimental mechanics applications, convolutional encoder, angular motion simulator, instrumented coin tap debond detection system, ultrasonic level sensor, spacecraft load simulator and pressure transducers. Patents and Copyrights DOS continued to encourage patent registration for the processes and products developed at its centres. Besides safeguarding the technologies and products developed within centres, efforts are being made to create awareness of the changing patent regime as well as to generate greater motivation towards building an effective intellectual property portfolio. Workshops, training programmes, tutorials and lectures on Intellectual Property Rights related topics have been organised during the year at all centres. Concerted efforts are being made for monitoring patent applications. Patent alerts are issued to the centres concerned. Initiatives are also taken for identifying and processing various technologies developed in-house for their intellectual property registration. Five patents were granted during the year, including two international patents. The patent portfolio now consists of 150 patents, 10 trademarks and 13 copyrights. A US patent was awarded for shape memory alloy step drive mechanism. The Japanese Patent Office has accepted the patent filed for a deployable solar sail assembly for satellites and a method of making it. National patents have been granted for the development of a colour reversal process chemistry for colour reversal print paper, a pressure controlled water evaporative refrigeration system, multichannel automated static loading system and a process for anodising and inorganic black colouring of aluminium and its alloys. During the year, 17 patent applications have been filed which include new synthetic procedures, adhesives, welding processes, signal strength measurements and noise reduction and actuator systems. Four copyright applications were registered including those for holographic software and satellite photogrammetry software for Indian remote sensing missions. The copyright for enhancement of machine capability for pattern writing has been registered. Market Survey and System Studies Project assignments were taken up during the year using the services of students of management institutions. Besides providing the students an exposure to the market dynamics, the summer assignments provide valuable market-related information to ISRO. The studies carried out during the year include market survey for geospatial value-added data products, mining of software from RRSSCs, study on global market assessment of satellite subsystems, market demand of instrumented coin tap, marketing strategies of OLFEX (Fire Extinguishing Powder), techno commercial study of silica from rice husk ash and market strategy for promoting ISRO's mission support services. Management- related assignments were also taken up on topics such as materials management for large R&D/high technology organisation, corporate personnel information system from distributed databases and evolution of a uniform policy for costing of software developed at ISRO centres. Technical Consultancy ISRO continues to provide technical consultancy services to industries and R and D institutions in diverse areas of its expertise. More than 265 consultancy assignments have been undertaken by ISRO for small, medium and large-scale industries. During the year, eight consultancy assignments on testing of antennas, authentication of Crz maps, land-use/ land cover change detection studies and macro-level watershed management studies and survey of the land for windfarm were successfully completed. Technology Utilisation and Vendor Development The role of industries in the space programme continued to grow with increasing programmatic needs. The policy of maximal utilisation of industry infrastructure has enabled greater participation of Indian industries in the space programme. In the spacecraft segment, there is an increasing reliance on industries to realise cost effective and reliable spacecraft hardware elements. Some of the major spacecraft elements including solar panel and batteries, sophisticated systems such as heat pipes for spacecraft thermal control and radiation coolers for meteorological imaging instruments are being realised through qualified vendors. Crucial spacecraft hardware such as optical solar reflectors, spacecraft mechanism elements for solar panel hinge assemblies and bonded film lubrication for spacecraft mechanisms are being sourced from industries. After the completion of the qualification process, efforts are initiated to commence regular production and supply of optical solar reflectors. Space quality solar panel hinge assemblies were successfully realised and flown on board EDUSAT. With this success, the industry is now capable in an end-to-end realisation of hinge assemblies. The role of industries has been enhanced from subsystem level fabrication to spacecraft level assembly and integration activities. As part of capability building measures, the first batch of industry personnel was inducted into spacecraft checkout operations of EDUSAT and INSAT-4A. Another contingent is being trained in electrical integration activities. The contract signed with a public sector firm for setting up battery fabrication and testing facilities has been progressing smoothly. Pursuant to successful training provided in various aspects of battery assembly, wiring and testing, batteries and solar panels are being delivered by the company for use on board ISRO spacecraft. Long-term contracts have been entered into for fabrication of solar panels for INSAT-4A, INSAT-4B, INSAT-4C and ASTROSAT missions. The manufacture of precision components for array deployment has also been undertaken by industry. Industry is also supplementing the fabrication of components used in spatial inertial mechanisms. Fabrication of communication payload hardware such as transmitters, receivers, Invar DEMUX filters and various other payload elements besides a number of electronic systems and components including power converters, filters, oscillators and amplifiers are being undertaken by industry. Trans-receive modules, miniaturised electronics in the form of multilayer boards, Hybrid Micro Circuits and Application Specific Integrated Circuits etc, are also now fabricated through industries. As part of the vendor development efforts, special training programmes on Hi-Rel PCB wiring and package assembly, Hi-Rel MIC fabrication, assembly and inspection have been organised for the industry personnel. Realisation of ground-based hardware is another area where industries are playing a significant role. They include INSAT MSS Type-C and D terminals and data handling and checkout equipment for IRS payloads, digital sound and data broadcast receivers, S-band switch matrix, etc. Several industries are working on digital hardware for RISAT and other microwave remote sensing projects. The magnitude of industry contribution in the launch vehicles area has also grown to meet the needs of both PSLV and GSLV and new developments for GSLV-Mk III. ISRO has made investments to develop strategic partnership with the private sector. A consortium of industries has successfully completed the second launch pad at SDSC SHAR. Export Promotion Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of the DOS, has achieved significant progress in global marketing of space products and services. During the year, Antrix is poised to realise about 66 percent growth in revenues. The global marketing of IRS data is being pursued in collaboration with its international partner, the Space Imaging of USA. Substantial efforts were devoted towards creating a niche market for RESOURCESAT data. The international ground station network for IRS now comprises ten stations for IRS-1C/1D, five stations for OCEANSAT-1 and three stations for RESOURCESAT in various parts of the world. A station in Beijing, China, is being set up. The diversity of services possible through RESOURCESAT has widened the IRS ground segment market. Antrix is in the process of setting up stations in Iran and Algeria. Antrix is also planning to create world archive through an additional station at Svalbard, Norway. In the launch services area, the contract with Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, for the launch of its satellite, is progressing smoothly. Agreements have been entered into with COSMOS Satellitestart GmbH, Germany, for launch of Italian AGILE satellite and with Aerospace Electronics Technology Centre (LAPAN), Indonesia for launch of LAPAN-TUBSAT, both on PSLV. The transponder lease services has registered a 64 percent growth in revenues with a significant portion of INSAT capacity being leased to domestic service providers for television and VSAT services. This segment has received a fillip with the requirements of transponder capacity for DTH services. The project for the Government of Karnataka for monitoring and evaluation of Watershed Development, funded by World Bank, is progressing smoothly. There has been a good progress in provision of mission/TTC support services to international customers. Antrix has entered into contracts with Inmarsat and United Space Networks for provision of support during satellite missions. On the satellite front, Antrix has entered into a joint venture agreement with MEASAT International (South Asia) Limited (MISAL) Malaysia, to develop satellite services from INSAT and MEASAT systems. The joint venture company is expected to leverage INSAT and MEASAT systems to provide commercial satellite services across the entire Asia-Pacific region. By pooling the satellite capacity available from INSAT and MEASAT systems, the Company is expected to significantly improve its ability to serve satellite communications and broadcasting customers across the Indian, Malaysian and regional markets, while reducing capital expenditure. Simultaneously, a Letter of Intent was also signed by MEASAT systems indicating interest to procure MEASAT-4 satellite from Antrix Corporation, India, to meet the capacity requirements of MEASAT systems. In recognition of its outstanding export performance, Antrix has been conferred the regional award for the highest export (in the services exporter _ non-SSI group) during the year 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 by the Engineering Export Promotion Council, Southern Region.
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