ISRO calls for more commercial launches

The Indian Space Research Organisation is pitching to increase its commercial launches.

Riding on the recent success of its PSLV-C9 launch, the Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO is now pitching to increase its commercial launches to earn revenue and is negotiating with countries that restrict use of Indian launch vehicles.

8220;Our domestic requirement is four to five launches per year and we are trying to increase commercial launches. Our costs are about 80 per cent of international launching costs.

But some coutries have restrictions about launching their satellites with Indian launch vehicles,8221; ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair told reporters here after receiving the Ramomohan Puraskar, 2008.

ISRO, which last month launched the PSLV C-9 with two satellites CARTOSAT-2A and IMS-1 with eight nanosatellites, has become the world8217;s second country after Russia to launch multi-satellites with Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles.

According to Nair, some advanced countries were wary of using Indian launch vehicles on the plea that those were of 8216;dual use8217; nature. They were, therefore, not willing to provide information regarding payload and other related matters.

He said ISRO was negotiating with various agencies and governments for removal of the restriction. 8220;If this can be done it will certainly bring in more revenue.8221; To a question, he said preparations of Chandrayan-1, India8217;s first unmanned mission to the Moon, was well proceeding on schedule and its launch was expected in the third quarter of this year.

Stating that the satellite would be in orbit for two years, Nair said that during its orbit it would take pictures in phases of the lunar surface and look for the possibility of the existence of water and special elements like Helium-3.

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Once the Chandrayan-1 was successfully launched, ISRO which has a budget outlay of Rs 3,600 crore during 2008-09, would proceed to launch the Indigenous Cryogenic Stage as the upper stage of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV, Nair said.

Stating that it would be the upper stage of GSLVs, he said that the Liquid Propulsion Test for it has been successfully completed and the flight stage was being readied.

Nair said that work was on to shift ISRO8217;s Remote Sensing Application Centre from Kharagpur to Kolkata and it would be operational towards the end of next year.

To a question, Nair said the ISRO had taken up with the Centre the issue of adequate remuneration for its scientists.

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8220;It will not be fair on my part to comment on the 6th Pay Commission8217;s recommendations, but government salaries are much lower than that in the private sector. This is dissuading people from taking up scientific careers. We have taken up the matters with the authorities,8221; he said.