 "We plan to enhance capabilities across the spectrum: Isro chairman")
“We will be enhancing our capabilities in all respects by increasing the number of satellite launches and satellite programmes. The government has given the nod to set up a rocket assembly unit and third launch pad, which will increase the capability of Isro to launch the number of spacecrafts in a year to 12 from the current eight,” said K Radhakrishnan, Isro chairman.
On the coming launches, he said, as far as communication satellites went, Isro would launch a satellite which would increase the capability of the transponders to 400 and increase the capability of the satellites. On navigation satellites, he said seven were needed. While one had been already launched in July, the next would be launched on February 14 and the next five in the next 18 months.
He said Isro was able to build a Mars orbiter in a matter of 15 months. This was possible because in this case, the satellite platform was modular and common. On remote sensing satellites, Isro would launch satellites in the remote sensing/earth observation category. The focus would be on increasing the imaging capacity. Isro would also have a new launch vehicle, Mark III, which would be ready by 2016-17 and a new launch pad would also be planned during the same time.
“We have several inter-planetary missions on the anvil,” said Radhakrishnan, adding that they included the Äditya mission to explore the sun’s corona, another to asteroid Vesta (which lies between Mars and Jupiter) and Chandrayaan-2, another moon mission, in 2016.
Isro also plans to use its heavier rocket geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) with its own cryogenic engine this December. The space agency is also in the process of developing a 200 tonne engine.
On the navigation satellite side, one more satellite is planned to be launched early next year and five more in 18 months.
Radhakrishnan said Isro will also have a new rocket - GSLV Mark III - by 2016-17 and a launch pad. M Y S Prasad, director, Satish Dhawan Space Centre said it is being studied.
“A new vehicle/rocket assembly building will be built which will enable ISRO to increase the number of rocket launches from eight now to 12 per year,” he said.
'I am Happy about development on Mars Mission till now'
K Radhakrishnan, chairman, Isro said Mars said that the development as far as today’s development, “the Orbiter that was injected in its intended elliptical orbit by PSLV and the post injection several operations have been performed. The space craft is in good health. The solar panels have been deployed.”
Radhakrishnan said as the orbiter was injected with near precision, the consumption of on-board fuel (around 855 kg) will also be as per plans while rising the space craft’s orbit further.
“The crucial operation will be on December 1, 2013 when the oribiter will be sent towards Mars orbit and in September 2014 another operation to take space craft towards the red planet’s orbit””.
The Mars orbiter mission will be the fitting tribute for the visionaries of Indian space programme, which is to cater common people.
“Our space programmes are people and application centric. The space programmes have brought benefit to common people and the fact has been recognised globally,” he said.