Space Application Centre, ISRO

Space Applications Centre (SAC) is an institution of research in Ahmedabad functioning under the aegis of ISRO. It is one of the major centres of ISRO, engaged in research, development, and demonstration of space technology applications in telecommunications, remote sensing, meteorology, and satellite navigation (Sat Nav), including on-board systems, ground systems, and end-user equipment hardware and software. SAC has three campuses, two located in Ahmedabad and one in Delhi. The current director of the centre is Nilesh M Desai. It was founded by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai. SAC has achieved development of communication and meteorological payloads for INSAT satellites and optical and microwave payloads for IRS satellites. It provides infrastructure for training courses to students of the Center for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific (CSSTEAP). On 19 March 2021, SAC demonstrated free space quantum communication technology over 300 meters between two buildings as part of the Quantum Experiments using Satellite Technology (QuEST) project. SAC has also collaborated with the National Institute of Design, Gujarat, since the early 1970s, and signed a memorandum of understanding with Bharat Electronics on 30 September 2024 for production of space-grade travelling wave tube amplifiers.