ISRO targeting up to 10 launches a year by 2016.

[SR-91]

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM (PTI): India's premier Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is targetting up to 10 launches a year by 2016 , a top ISRO official said on Monday.

"We intend up to 10 launches a year. By March next, 7-8 launches will be held. By next year, we are expecting 10 launches a year", ISRO Chairman, Kiran Kumar, told reporters at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC)'s office at nearby Akkulam.

On the total outlay for the ambitious project, he said in the 12th five year plan, their allocation had been reduced.

"This year we expect to make full use of the allocation and are expecting anything between Rs 6000-to Rs 7000 crore," Kumar said.

Of the 7 IRNSS (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System) constellation of satellites, 4 have already been launched and the remaining will be launched in the current fiscal, he said.

ISRO was having "heavy demand" for launches and is in the process of planning for a third launch pad at SriHarikotta.

The organisation is also looking into the possibility of working out models for outsourcing the entire integration process of launch vehicles to meet the heavy demand, he said.

With Government not allowing its manpower to increase, meeting this high demand through out sourcing could be a solution, he said.

On the Re-usable launch vehicle Technology Demonstration Programme (RLV-TD), he said the Vikram Sarabhai space centre, was targetting this mission in the third week of October.

The demonstration vehicle will cost around Rs 3 crore, VSSC Director, Dr K Sivan, who was also present, said adding "We are doing it in a cost effective way".

The Chandrayan II was progressing satisfactorily and was expected to be launched in 2018, the chairman said.

The cryogenic engine for GSLV MK III was ground tested for the full flight duration and will be ready by next year for the launch of the first development flight of GSLV MK III in December 2016.

The next development flight will follow in another year, he added.

On the next planetary mission, the chairman said whether it was Mars or Venus mission, the advisory committee on Space will decide.


ISRO targetting 10 launches a year by 2016 | Brahmand News


There are no words to describe Irso's superb job.
@ISRO we are extremely thankful and proud of your dedication towards our nation.

 

[SR-91]

Riding high on the successful launch of five British satellites Friday night, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said it has planned a slew of launches, including GSLV-Mark II next month and three more navigational satellites before March 2016.


"The next launch going to take place is GSLV-Mark-II.

Satellite has already reached Sriharikota and is going through final tests. We plan to make the next launch in August," ISRO Chairman Kiran Kumar said.

The configuration has been finalised and there has been significant changes in the original plan, he said.

On the proposed navigational satellites, Kumar said four had already been launched and three more are expected to be launched before March 2016.

"We expect the next navigational satellite to be launched by November," he said.

Asked about future launches similar to Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter Mission, he said "right now discussions are going on for one more mission to Mars or Venus or we should look at asteroids. There is a science team which is going through this discussion."

On the status of Mangalyaan, he said there had been no communication between the satellite and ground station for about 15 days recently. "Now we are back on track. Now operations have resumed. Having crossed this hurdle we expect the longevity of the satellite to be quite normal and the health of satellite is in good health".

On the status of Chandrayaan-II, he said, "Right now it is going through the realisation phase. Work is going on".

Kumar said said that with the launch today, ISRO has completed 120 mission and 74 satellite launches.

Asked if this was the heaviest commercial launch worldwide, he admitted it cannot be anything near to that.

"Our maximum capacity is 1700-1800 kg whereas international heaviest launches are somewhere around six to seven tonnes."

"Friday's launch is the 30th PSLV launch..... so far 29 consecutive launches. This is 17th launch in Solar Synchronous Orbit and the fifth dedicated commercial launch. The first dedicated commercial launch was on May 29, 1999," Kumar said.

"So far, 27 national satellite and 45 international satellites have been launched," he said.

To a query, he said, "ISRO has 28 satellites belonging to six to seven countries in next three years or so. Including Friday's launch, we have completed 45 commercial launches belonging to 19 countries."

Slew of launches planned by ISRO, says Kiran Kumar | Brahmand News

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India is expected to launch in December next year the SAARC satellite, proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a 'gift to the neighbours', Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman Kiran Kumar on Friday said.

"Expected in next December - the launch...once the final approval comes about eighteen months is what we are taking, but we expect (it) some time in December....," he told reporters here.

Speaking on the sidelines of IISC Alumni Global Conference 2015 'Science for Society', he said "....meeting has taken place (with SAARC countries), MEA is coordinating this. The satellite will have twelve 'Ku' transponders," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in June last year asked ISRO to develop a SAARC satellite which can be dedicated as a "gift" to the neighbouring countries to help them in areas such as tele-medicine, weather forecasting and communication.

Modi made an announcement on India's decision to develop the satellite at the SAARC summit in Kathmandu last November.

On Monday, deliberations were held with experts from other SAARC countries to finalise modalities for developing a satellite exclusively for the regional grouping.

Speaking about the meeting, Kumar said "It was a very good meeting, we had five representatives from each of the seven countries other than India...So it was an extremely good meeting where all participants were made aware of what can be done with the SAARC satellite, so all went back quite happy."

"Pakistan also came, in fact they came in the larger number than the rest. We had invited five from each country- about nine of them had come. They also participated," he said.

Kumar said "it will be a communication satellite and will provide them opportunity to make use of the transponder for their own use, whether it is education, tele-medicine or disaster monitoring."

"Plus there will be a capability to interconnect all these eight countries like hot contact for the political level, MEA interconnection, disaster monitoring constellation, connectivity for all eight countries and also in terms of meteorological data decimination...," he added.

Kumar said SAARC counties have begun to think on having a SAARC Consortium for future space programme for the benefit of the region on the lines of the European Consortium.

He said "each country will have some capability exclusive for them. They will have a ground station. They can do their DTH, they can do their telecom connectivity, whatever they want they can do."

On progress made regarding NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), Kumar said "NISAR is a launch for 2021, committee meetings are going to take place again in July.

Some team is going to US for further discussion. So it is going on as per plan."

To a question on date for the launch of ASTROSAT, the first dedicated Indian astronomy mission aimed at studying distant celestial objects, he said "it will be in September."

 

[Providence]

If 25 of them are gonna be Sun synchronous, then it is useless !

 

[The Huskar]

If 25 of them are gonna be Sun synchronous, then it is useless !

Why??

 

[Providence]

Why??

ISRO needs some heavy duty liftoff capability now. Modi talks about the digital india initiative but on what infra will it run ? Yes only on 4-5Tonne comm sats and that too a bunch of them.

 

[The Huskar]

ISRO needs some heavy duty liftoff capability now. Modi talks about the digital india initiative but on what infra will it run ? Yes only on 4-5Tonne comm sats and that too a bunch of them.

That's the reason for developing GSLV Mk-3.PSLV will be more for commercial purposes than strategic ones in future.