ISRO invites private companies to manufacture and fly PSLV

[thesolar65]

To speed up the frequency of launches, ISRO has begun construction of one more facility for constructing PSLV in Sriharikota. The facility will be completed by this year.

Over 25 companies and top space scientists will be participating in a day-long conference in Bengaluru on April 21. This will be a conference done with the main aim to form a consortium where companies will be offered a chance to manufacture and fly Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). After PSLV launched 28 non-Indian satellites from 2013 to 2015, it earned $101 million as commercial launch charges.

With the increase in cash flow, ISRO now is looking at increasing the number of flights to put more satellites into space and privatize the rocket. According to A.S. Kiran Kumar, Chairman of Indian Space and Research Organization, “We are limited by capacity though this (PSLV) is a very good launch vehicle. We want them (industries) to form a consortium to build PSLV and launch satellites. Our target is to have 12 PSLV flights in a year first, then scale it up 18 and even 24 in a year”.

So now ISRO is attempting to work with various industries so that there is more than a single candidate for each component. To speed up the frequency of launches, ISRO has begun construction of one more facility for constructing PSLV in Sriharikota. The facility will be completed by this year.

According to sources, companies such as Godrej & Boyce as well as Larsen & Toubro have been collaborating with the space agency for the same. This 21st April conference will provide a big time chance to other private companies to come forward and grab the chance to manufacture and fly the PSLV.

ISRO invites private companies to manufacture and fly PSLV

 

[thesolar65]

@Skull and Bones @anant_s @mkb95 @Pulsar @sathya

 

[Ryuzaki]

why cant they build more facilities of their own?

 

[thesolar65]

This will leave ISRO concentrate on GSLV and its derivatives plus interstellar launches!!

why cant they build more facilities of their own?

They means ISRO or Private companies?

 

[true]

why cant they build more facilities of their own?

i wouldn't want to sacrifice quality over budget issues.

 

[anant_s]

why not!
PSLV has an amazing reliability and with its cost benefit, private equity and partnership is not an impossible task.

 

[Pulsar]

Already private companies like Godrej & Boyce, Larsen & Toubro, MTAR, DMRL, Walchandnagar Industries, Transpace Technologies, Genser Aerospace & Information Technologies etc have been scripting the success story as they partner with ISRO in producing a major percentage of launch vehicle parts and sub-units.

IT giant Wipro said it is in discussions with ISRO to provide software and electronics for projects like the Chandrayaan-2 mission and to collaborate in the area of robotic design, as ISRO plans to land a motorised rover or robot on the Moon in the near future.

People familiar with ISRO's outsourcing strategy said that tech firms such as TCS and Infosys are talking to ISRO to provide their engineering design services.

Eventually the future consortium of private companies will be fully responsible for building and launching the light-lift PSLV rocket, like the US and European countries, where private sector players like Space X, Bigelow Aerospace, Reaction Engines and others play a big role in space exploration and missions. India has just started warming up to the idea of private sector participation in space missions.

 

[PAR 5]

Congratulations. I am really impressed with the strides and strategy of ISRO in development of infra structure for space and satellite systems. While our SUPARCO still drags its feet struggling to get off the ground, ISRO is already up there. So once again, well done.

 

[Hashiva]

A good move