Advanced satellite by 2001-2 8212; ISRO

PUNE, OCT 1: An advanced remote sensing satellite with a mapping capacity of 2.5 metres resolution would be launched by the year 2001-200...

PUNE, OCT 1: An advanced remote sensing satellite with a mapping capacity of 2.5 metres resolution would be launched by the year 2001-2002, announced Dr K Kasturirangan, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO and Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Space, on Friday. He added that this would be the first effort of its kind in the world.

In the city to receive the H K Firodia award for excellence in science and technology for the year 1999, Kasturirangan said hardware realisation for this IRS mapping facility was complete.

Currently eight to ten ground stations including countries like United States, Europe, Japan and Thailand receive data from the existing remote sensing satellite. With this, IRS becomes the third satellite in the global scheme designed to meet our applications, he said.

Ten more stations are scheduled to receive data in the next few months, he revealed explaining that this would lead to acquisition of data processing and effective marketing by theground stations. According to Kasturirangan, India enjoys 20 per cent of the market share although US and Europe produce more satellites.

Around 130 transponders will be added to the third generation satellites INSAT 3B and INSAT 3C by the year 2002. He said that INSAT 3B is expected to be launched by the end of this year while the design of INSAT 3A is complete. Kasturirangan expected this to be launched sometime in the second half of next year. He said that work has begun on INSAT 3C which would be launched in the third quarter of next year and INSAT 3D and INSAT 3E were still in the planning stage.

He pointed out that unless the GSLV launcher was complete, India could not tap the commercial market for communication satellites. Discussions are currently in process with a European country to break into the international market. Kasturirangan foresaw the possibility of a major partnership with the European company Arian which currently has a 60 per cent market share in the area of launchers.

He saidthat the test satellite would be launched next year with a payload of 2.5 tons. The 100 kg and 150 kg launchers would ride piggyback along with the main satellite, he said.