India to launch 23 foreign satellites | Fusion - WeRIndia

According to an official of Antrix Corporation, India has made contracts to launch 23 foreign satellites in the near future. When it comes to the commercial arm of Indian space agency Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Antrix Corporation takes a huge role.

The official has further added that two satellites from these 23 foreign satellites will go in to orbit on separate rockets each. The remaining 21 satellites will all go on a bigger Indian satellite. It was announced that ISRO would soon launch six Singapore satellites which weigh around 600 kg.

Out of these six satellites, the biggest one is for earth observation. It alone weighs 410 kg. Two of the six satellites are micro satellites and they weigh 130 kg and 80 kg respectively. The remaining three are nano-satellites. They weigh just 30 kg combined.

ISRO is set to launch five small satellites from the US before 2016. They will be launched as a piggy-back luggage stated an official from Antrix Corporation.

Antrix Corporation and the US parties have signed a deal to launch nine small satellites. Four of these satellites were already launched as a piggy-back luggage with ASTROSAT, India’s first space observatory.

So far, India has launched 51 foreign satellites for a fee. ISRO chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar said things are changing with the US. He said that they are having an increasing amount of collaboration with the US.

He also talked about the forthcoming rocket launches. On that topic, he said that the next polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) rocket launch will be a fully commercial one.

Using Ariane rocket, a European heavy-lift launch vehicle, India would be launching communication satellite GSAT-15 this November. Two more navigation satellites are also set for launch according to Kumar.

Image Credit: NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center / CC BY-NC 2.0

Image Reference: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasamarshall/12636426514/