The Hindu Business Line : ISRO keen on having a bigger share of the space pie: Nair — 'Recover and renew launch vehicles' plan in conceptual issues'

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ISRO keen on having a bigger share of the space pie: Nair — 'Recover and renew launch vehicles' plan in conceptual issues'

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ISRO was in the process of developing a new vehicle that would carry launch vehicles of load of four to five tonnes.

An MoU had been signed with the European Space Agency for carrying certain instruments

Dr G. Madhavan Nair

Pune , Dec. 3

WHAT does the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have on its agenda other than the launch of the INSAT series?

For one, Dr G. Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO, says "we have to be globally competitive to fight for space in space." And two, to be able to recover and renew launch vehicles, which would bring down launch costs.

Talking to presspersons here on Saturday, Dr Nair said the `recover and renew launch vehicles' programme was in the conceptual study level and it would at least take about four years' time to design the vehicles. Currently, only the upper portion of launch vehicles could be recovered by the space shuttles and the intention was to recover the upper and lower portions. It would take about a decade for such a launch vehicle to be developed.

He said the technology for this would have to be developed in parallel and would have to specifically look into aerodynamics and sonics.

Currently, aircraft flew only at twice the speed of sound, but the launch vehicles would be coming in at 25 times the speed of sound.

On INSAT 4A, Dr Nair said it would be launched early morning of December 22 from French Guyana. It was the heaviest communication satellite, weighing about 3,200 kg, and would be launched using the European launch vehicle, Ariane. This was being done as the domestic GSLV could take only upto 2,500 kg. This would have high power Ku band transponders.

Dr Nair said two more launches were scheduled, INSAT 4C during the first quarter of next year and INSAT 4B towards the end of next year. With these launches, the number of transponders that could be utilised would be close to 42. Currently about 12 transponders are in space, 12 more would be added by INSAT 4A, 12 by INSAT 4B and six by INSAT 4C. Each transponder could take in about eight to 12 channels, with the result that about 400 channels could be beamed down.

Dr Nair said DD (Doordarshan) had already started the service as also T-Sky, the Tatas-Star Group's DTH venture. Others in the pipeline included Zee TV and Sun TV. He said by the end of next year, the launch vehicles would be ready to take on the challenge by which time the players would also have their infrastructure up.

ISRO was in the process of developing a new vehicle that would carry launch vehicles of load of four to five tonnes. The project was expected to be completed by 2008.

Talking about the payload to be carried by INSAT 4A, Dr Nair said a memorandum of understanding had been signed with the European Space Agency for carrying certain instruments and ISRO was also in talks with NASA and John Hopkins University in this regard.He said certain procedures had to be completed and the US Government was to give formal approval for certain instruments.

Dr Nair said this was a $2-billion industry today and ISRO was looking at at least a 5-10 per cent market from this. Most countries that

needed the launch vehicles, including the US and Europe, had their own resources. ISRO was looking at countries that required this support.

He said it had already launched space vehicles for Korea, Belgium and Germany and next year would be launching for the Italian Space Agency. Currently, revenue to the tune of $11 million came from hiring of transponders and about $2-3 million from remote sensing images.

Revenues also came in from other streams.

He said it had been recording a growth of 30 per cent for the past couple of years "and though it is difficult to keep up to this target, our endeavour is to maintain it."

The H K Firodia 2005 Awards instituted by the H K Firodia Memorial Foundation for excellence in science and technology has been bagged by Dr Nair in space technology as Mission Director.

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