NEW DELHI: Isro chairman S Somanath said on Tuesday that the space agency is going to launch 50+ satellites and several scientific missions totalling 70 launches for various users, departments and ministries in the next five years. He also said the country’s first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission is likely to be launched in December this year.
Somanath revealed this on the sidelines of a function organised by AICTE in collaboration with Isro, Indian Space Association (ISpA), and IN-SPACe, titled “Creating a Space Ecosystem: A New Era—Igniting Young Minds for Space Exploration.” The event also featured the launch of the AICTE-approved model curriculum for space technology and the release of a book titled ‘Introduction to Finite Element Analysis’, co-authored by Isro chief S Somanath and Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre director S Unnikrishnan Nair.Elaborating on the upcoming satellites to be launched, the Isro chief said over 50+ upcoming satellite missions will include four navigation satellites, weather satellites, Cartosat series, Resourcesat series, Oceansat and high-throughput communication satellites.
After the successful moon landing on Aug 23 last year, which will be celebrated as National Space Day, Somanath said Isro has completed design work for Chandrayaan-4 and -5 missions. “We are now waiting for the govt’s approval,” he said.
About Bharatiya Antariksha Station project, Somanath said India’s space station will have five modules. The first module is scheduled to be launched in 2028. Design work for it is already completed and a full report has been submitted to govt for approval.”
On the first Gaganyaan unmanned mission, Somanath said “most of the rocket stages have reached SHAR (Sriharikota). Only the crew module is being prepared at Thiruvananthapuram (centre) and the service module at UR Rao Satellite Centre (Bengaluru). All systems will reach Sriharikota in one and a half months and the launch will be in December.”
After the successful launch of the final development flight of SSLV (mini rocket) recently, Somanath said, “We are now working on SSLV technology transfer. The technology will be transferred either to a company or a consortium of companies based on who will be the highest bidder. A request for interest has been floated and more than 10 companies and consortia have evinced interest. Some of them have been shortlisted. After the approved price is paid, two rockets will be realised on a commercial basis by the company as Isro and NSIL will hand-hold the company. Thereafter, they will manufacture the rockets on their own.”
The Isro chief also gave details about the next-generation launches. “We have a rocket LVM-3 with a 4-5 tonne carrying capability. We need to double this capability. Though the cost of the existing rocket is high, it is still competitive. But we have to bring the cost down substantially. So, we are going for a PPP mode to develop a next-generation rocket.”
About ongoing astronaut training in the US for the International Space Station mission, Somanath said the two astronauts are “currently undergoing an initial phase of a three-month training (in Houston). Thereafter, they will be trained in other facilities”. “One of them will then be sent to ISS, which is likely in the middle of next year,” he said.
Lieutenant General AK Bhatt, director general of ISpA, who was also at the event, said, “ISpA is actively working to facilitate private sector participation in India’s space economy and we believe that the synergy between the govt initiatives and private enterprises will be the key driver of innovation and growth in this sector. We need increased collaboration between the academia, the industry and the research institutions to foster innovation and accelerate technological development. Investment in STEM education is crucial to nurture the next generation of space scientists and engineers.”
Somanath revealed this on the sidelines of a function organised by AICTE in collaboration with Isro, Indian Space Association (ISpA), and IN-SPACe, titled “Creating a Space Ecosystem: A New Era—Igniting Young Minds for Space Exploration.” The event also featured the launch of the AICTE-approved model curriculum for space technology and the release of a book titled ‘Introduction to Finite Element Analysis’, co-authored by Isro chief S Somanath and Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre director S Unnikrishnan Nair.Elaborating on the upcoming satellites to be launched, the Isro chief said over 50+ upcoming satellite missions will include four navigation satellites, weather satellites, Cartosat series, Resourcesat series, Oceansat and high-throughput communication satellites.
After the successful moon landing on Aug 23 last year, which will be celebrated as National Space Day, Somanath said Isro has completed design work for Chandrayaan-4 and -5 missions. “We are now waiting for the govt’s approval,” he said.
About Bharatiya Antariksha Station project, Somanath said India’s space station will have five modules. The first module is scheduled to be launched in 2028. Design work for it is already completed and a full report has been submitted to govt for approval.”
On the first Gaganyaan unmanned mission, Somanath said “most of the rocket stages have reached SHAR (Sriharikota). Only the crew module is being prepared at Thiruvananthapuram (centre) and the service module at UR Rao Satellite Centre (Bengaluru). All systems will reach Sriharikota in one and a half months and the launch will be in December.”
After the successful launch of the final development flight of SSLV (mini rocket) recently, Somanath said, “We are now working on SSLV technology transfer. The technology will be transferred either to a company or a consortium of companies based on who will be the highest bidder. A request for interest has been floated and more than 10 companies and consortia have evinced interest. Some of them have been shortlisted. After the approved price is paid, two rockets will be realised on a commercial basis by the company as Isro and NSIL will hand-hold the company. Thereafter, they will manufacture the rockets on their own.”
The Isro chief also gave details about the next-generation launches. “We have a rocket LVM-3 with a 4-5 tonne carrying capability. We need to double this capability. Though the cost of the existing rocket is high, it is still competitive. But we have to bring the cost down substantially. So, we are going for a PPP mode to develop a next-generation rocket.”
About ongoing astronaut training in the US for the International Space Station mission, Somanath said the two astronauts are “currently undergoing an initial phase of a three-month training (in Houston). Thereafter, they will be trained in other facilities”. “One of them will then be sent to ISS, which is likely in the middle of next year,” he said.
Lieutenant General AK Bhatt, director general of ISpA, who was also at the event, said, “ISpA is actively working to facilitate private sector participation in India’s space economy and we believe that the synergy between the govt initiatives and private enterprises will be the key driver of innovation and growth in this sector. We need increased collaboration between the academia, the industry and the research institutions to foster innovation and accelerate technological development. Investment in STEM education is crucial to nurture the next generation of space scientists and engineers.”
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