IIT Madras’ ExTeM Group Advances Space-Tech for Future Missions; Check Details Here

IIT Madras’ ExTeM Research Group is driving India's space ambitions by developing cutting-edge innovations that support long-term human presence in space and expand commercial opportunities in the sector.

IIT Madras’ ExTeM Group Advances Space-Tech

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras researchers are contributing to India’s space ambitions by developing technologies for long-term human presence in space and expanding commercial opportunities. Their work supports both ‘Making in Space for Space’ to advance space travel and ‘Making in Space for Earth’ to benefit life on our planet. The facility houses a Microgravity Drop Tower, the world's fourth-largest operational drop tower, installed in 2017 through the efforts of Prof. Amit Kumar from the Department of Aerospace Engineering. This tower enables experiments under microgravity conditions, simulating the environment of outer space.

ExTeM (Extraterrestrial Manufacturing) researchers are developing innovative technologies to support future human settlements on the Moon and Mars. Their work focuses on overcoming challenges in building infrastructure, 3D printing tools, and extracting essential materials for sustainable space exploration. ExTeM aims to reduce dependence on Earth-based supply chains by utilizing resources like lunar regolith and Martian soil, helping lower costs and payload requirements for space missions.

Highlighting the importance of such research towards driving India’s space ambitions, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “Today, we are looking at Space Stations which are becoming important for reasons like exploratory studies, climatic modelling, and enviro-studies, among other areas. A lot of people are looking at settlements in space. One such exploratory is to have human settlements in Moon and even Mars. One of the important aspects of for ‘Making in Space for Space’ is building technologies for human settlements.”

Institute of Eminence Initiative

Established in 2021 under IIT Madras' Institute of Eminence (IoE) scheme, ExTeM is developing technologies for space manufacturing. Its goal is to support India’s Space 2.0 initiatives and expand opportunities for industries such as resource extraction, infrastructure development, and pharmaceutical research.

Elaborating further, Prof. Sathyan Subbiah, coordinator of ExTeM, said, “The manufacturing technologies needed for space will differ substantially from the earth-based ones owing to the constraints posed by limited space, limited power, micro-gravity influence, and limitations to track process inputs and outputs and to recycle by-products effectively.”

Further, Prof. Sathyan Subbiah, also a Faculty in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, said, “The centre is addressing both fundamental studies and technology developments. Microgravity influence in several physical phenomena will be studied, and the know-how will influence the process technologies developed. To this end, a battery of microgravity tests is planned in platforms ranging from drop-towers to parabolic flights and possibly extending to sub-orbital flights.”

The ExTeM group at IIT Madras is led by a team of distinguished professors, researchers, and students with expertise across various disciplines, driving innovation in extraterrestrial manufacturing. Prof. Sathyan Subbiah spearheads efforts to develop ISRU technologies and manufacturing methods tailored for microgravity environments.

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