India's space regulator IN-SPACe on Thursday said about 30 space launches, including seven by private start-ups Skyroot and Agnikul, are scheduled in the fourth quarter of 2023-24 and the next fiscal.
The Integrated Launch Manifesto for space launches announced by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) includes seven launches related to the Gaganyaan mission, two launches each of ISRO’s newest rocket – the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) and the warhorse PSLV – developed by an industry consortium.
Chennai-based Agnikul Cosmos is scheduled to launch its first 3-D printed rocket Agnibaan-SOrTeD in the fourth quarter of the current fiscal year. The maiden flight of the Agnibaan rocket will be a sub-orbital mission.
The other launches this fiscal year include that of GSLV-F14 to put the INSAT-3DS satellite in orbit to augment weather forecasting, disaster management, and related meteorological services.
The third development flight of the SSLV is also expected by March and it will carry a primary satellite of ISRO and two other payloads, Space Rickshaw and IITMSat, INSPACe said.
Aerospace is expected to carry out four launches of its home-built rocket Vikram-1-1 during the next fiscal, while Agnikul Cosmos has lined up two launches of Agnibaan.
In 2024-25, ISRO will undertake three missions each of PSLV and GSLV, and seven launches related to the Gaganyaan project, including the test vehicle.
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NewSpace India Ltd, the commercial arm of ISRO, is expected to carry out four launches of PSLV, one LVM-3 mission, and two launches of SSLV.
Some start-ups such as Digantara Research & Technology, Dhruvaspace, Space Kidz India and academic institutes, including IIT-Madras, Manipal Institute of Technology, and C V Raman Global University, Odisha, have lined up launches during the next fiscal.