‘Private cos will manufacture rockets’
Growing demand for satellite launches from offshore companies is prompting an Indian pivot to private firms for building rockets.
This is being done to develop the central government as a key customer for the private sector alongside global clients—akin to the successful privatization model achieved by the US over the past four decades—said Pawan Kumar Goenka, chairman of the regulatory body for the space industry, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (In-Space).
“Globally, there is a shortage of satellite launch capacity in heavy rockets, for which the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro)’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)—and Large Vehicle Mark III (LVM3)—class launch vehicles have a supply constraint. For LVM3, Isro only builds around three rockets per year, most of which are committed for Isro’s own missions," he said in an interview.
“As a result, the heaviest rocket is mostly not available for commercial missions. Isro today is working with private vendors to increase the capacity of the heaviest rocket from three to seven per year. This will help meet heavy commercial demand, especially at the pricing that Indian space firms are offering,” Goenka said.
Further addition, crucially, is being made in manufacturing capacity of the PSLV, too. “Its per-year capacity is being increased from around six, to 12. Most of this demand is coming from global markets,” he said.
Privately manufactured rockets for Isro is being seen as crucial to the space sector’s ability to attract commercial missions—a field that today is largely led by the US.
Companies such as Elon Musk-backed SpaceX have, over the years, built heavy launch capacity for their rockets. After launching 98 rockets last year, SpaceX is eyeing 144 launches this year.
To do this, in September 2022, a consortium of Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Aerospace won an ₹860-crore contract to make five PSLV rockets in four years. This capacity is now being ramped up through more private vendor participation.
Another key area is in completely privatizing Isro’s small rocket—the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).
“All technology of the rocket will be transferred to the private sector, and Isro will no longer make them. There is a bidding process to license the small rocket’s technology, for which In-Space raised an expression of interest a few months ago.
Since then, we’ve shortlisted companies that will qualify for the final bidding of the SSLV’s technology, who will be informed by next week. Once they submit, the final process is likely to be completed within the next three months, after which the SSLV will be fully privatized,” Goenka said. However, critics say the Indian private space industry suffers from gaps, for which the industry is looking to the Centre for solutions.
This is being done to develop the central govt as a key customer for the private sector alongside global clients