Space Application Centre (ISRO)

Space Applications Centre (SAC) is a research institution located in Ahmedabad, operating under the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It is one of ISRO's major centres, engaged in research, development, and demonstration of space technology applications in telecommunications, remote sensing, meteorology, and satellite navigation (Sat Nav). Its work includes developing on-board systems, ground systems, and end-user equipment hardware and software. SAC operates three campuses, two in Ahmedabad and one in Delhi, with Nilesh M Desai serving as its current director. The centre was founded by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and has contributed to communication and meteorological payloads for INSAT satellites, as well as optical and microwave payloads for IRS satellites. SAC also provides infrastructure for training courses under the Center for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific (CSSTEAP). In 2021, SAC demonstrated free space quantum communication technology as part of the QuEST project. SAC has collaborated with the National Institute of Design, Gujarat since the early 1970s, and in 2024 signed an MoU with Bharat Electronics for the production of space-grade travelling wave tube amplifiers.