Live
- GMR Airports Unveils AI-Powered Digital Twin Platform to Transform Airport Operations
- India poised to become leading maritime player: PM Modi
- Top Causes of Kidney Stones and How to Recognize Silent Symptoms
- India’s renewable energy capacity logs 14.2 pc growth at 213.7 GW
- Winter Session of Odisha Assembly adjourned sine die
- Biden calls Trump's tariff approach 'major mistake'
- After Drama Over Eknath Shinde’s Chief Minister Race, Maharashtra Cabinet Formation Faces New Tensions
- Egyptian FM, Blinken discuss recent developments in Syria
- Iran's supreme leader says Syria's developments result of US-Israeli 'plot'
- Elon Musk to Purchase $100 Million Luxury Mansion Next to Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago, Report Reveals
ISRO plans to double launches
The Indian Space Research Organisation intends to more than double its launches a year, and get on board industries to build entire satellites and partner in rocket integration by taking bigger stakes, its Chairman A S Kiran Kumar has said.
​Hyderabad: The Indian Space Research Organisation intends to more than double its launches a year, and get on board industries to build entire satellites and partner in rocket integration by taking bigger stakes, its Chairman A S Kiran Kumar has said. India currently has 34 satellites in space but this number falls short of the country's need to generate information, both on earth observation and communication fronts, said Kumar, who is also Secretary in the Department of Space and Chairman, Space Commission.
"We have already reached seven launches in a year. We intend to increase it to almost 12 launches a year... immediately (subsequently) following to reach up to 18 launches a year," he said, delivering a lecture at the Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI), Hyderabad branch, on Saturday evening, but did not give time-frame to achieve the objective.
"We need to build capacity and this capacity-building is going to happen with attempts by bringing in industry to use the launch vehicles (rockets of ISRO). We are looking at the industry performing total launch at Sriharikota (ISRO's spaceport) using mechanisms. So, we are working on these mechanisms," he said.
"Today we are working on mechanisms for ensuring that the industry would be able to build and launch satellites using the launch vehicles in our Sriharikota launch pad. "Industry participation, for example raw materials, fabrication, is happening and vehicle integration is planned for near future. We are in discussion with industries.
We are trying to make industries to take bigger stakes in the space programmes," Kiran Kumar said. ISRO is working on a mechanism with the industry on sharing responsibility, both in terms of investment and in areas of co-development and co-innovation. G Satheesh Reddy, Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister, said AeSI has approached its counterparts in advanced nations, inviting companies there to set up shop in India in areas of aerospace sector where the country was not strong, in partnership with 'desi' firms, as part of the 'Make in India' push.
Reddy, who is the Chairman of AeSI's Hyderabad branch, said the Society has written letter to them (counterparts in other countries) listing areas in the sector where India needs collaboration. He said they are expecting response in a couple of months and hope to initiate discussion with serious players from abroad in the second-half of this year, and "marry" them with interested domestic firms.
