The Indian space programme is expanding and its rocket building and launching capabilities are now matching the best from the rest of the world.
In a month or two India’s Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will loft AST SpaceMobile’s heavyweight low Earth orbiting FM1 satellites – and which weighs around 6,500kgs – into orbit.
Chairman of ISRO, V Narayanan, on August 10th was presented with an honorary degree, Doctor of Science, by the Governor of Maharashtra C P Radhakrishnan, during the 21st Convocation of SRM Institute of Science and Technology at Kattankulathur near Chennai.
In his acceptance speech India’s Economic Times reported that Narayanan recalled that the ISRO was set up in 1963 and the country was 6-7 years behind advanced countries then. In the same year, a tiny rocket was donated by the US marking the beginning of the Indian Space Programme.
“It was on November 21st 1963,” he said. “From that (kind of humble beginnings), the 30th of July was a historical day for Indian space programme. We have launched the NISAR satellite: The costliest satellite ever built in the world. The L Band SAR payload from the USA and S Band payload provided by ISRO. The satellite was placed in orbit precisely by Indian launcher (GSLV). And today, we are shoulder to shoulder with advanced countries.”
“In another couple of months, a country which received a tiny rocket from the United States, is going to launch a 6,500 kg communication satellite built by the Americans using our own launcher from Indian soil. What a significant growth it is,” Narayanan added..
ISRO has, to date, launched 433 satellites of 34 countries using its own launch vehicles, Narayanan noted.
It also emerged that ISRO plans to launch around 100 satellites over the next three years, and in the process triple the number of its satellites it has in orbit (from 56 to 150).