Isro plans to launch 21 rockets in 4 years
The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has lined up around 21 rocket launches, including the second test flight of its heaviest rocket, the Geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) MK-III, which will be carried out over a period of three-four years.
The outlay is part of the ~8,658.74 crore sanctioned by the government for the Isro to build and launch 31 rockets, including 15 PSLVs, 13 GSLV’s and three GSLV MK-IIIs. So far Isro has successfully built and launched 10 vehicles under the agreement. “Isro’s launch vehicles are being used for launching national satellites towards meeting the earth observation, communication, navigation and scientific needs of the country. The excess capacity has been used to launch satellites of other countries,” said Jitendra Singh, Minister of State at the Prime Minister’s office early this week. The Space Commission, which runs Isro, is directly under the Prime Minister.
The plan to launch the next 21 rockets comes at a time when India is looking at putting over 70 satellites in space over the next five years. Isro has also said that 2017 will be the last year India will utilise foreign launch vehicles to hurl its satellites into space. India currently uses the Ariane 5 rocket, of Arianespace, the European Space Agency to launch its heavier communication satellites into space.