Overview
The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) is a government-aided institute and deemed university dedicated to the study and research of space science. Located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, it functions under the Department of Space, Government of India.
IIST was established in 2007 by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and is regarded as Asia's first space university. It was inaugurated on 14 September 2007 by G. Madhavan Nair, the then Chairman of ISRO. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India, served as the first Chancellor of the institute.
The institute offers regular undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in engineering, with a focus on space science, technology and applications. Its academic activities are oriented towards meeting the human resource requirements of the Indian space programme.