US satellites to ride on Isro rockets

BENGALURU: A successful mission to Mars and a couple of successful flights of GSLV-II have not only propped Isro into big league, but also caught the eye of countries including the United States to turn to this organisation for launch of two-ton communication satellites. 

 

While the Indian space agency’s workhorse, PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle), is set to launch 23 foreign satellites this year and in 2016 (it has hoisted 51 foreign satellites so far), firms in the United States and other countries are enquiring about rides onboard GSLV-II, says Dr V.S. Hegde, chairman and managing director of Antrix Corporation, the corporate arm of Isro. “We will complete our schedule of launch of communications satellites first, so these foreign satellites could find a slot around 2018 onboard GSLV-II,” he told the media here on Friday.  

 

With companies worldwide planning to position 1500 satellites over the next couple of years, Isro will ramp up its capacity to launch as many of them, leveraging advantages in terms of cost and its expertise in hoisting them to different orbits.