ISRO's platforms for EADS payloads

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has made an important breakthrough in selling its satellite platforms to international customers, a step closer to ultimately launching third party satellites onboard its own rockets.

ISRO said in a statement, it will supply two-tonne and three-tonne class platforms for EADS' communications payloads to build sub 4 kilo watt satellites. A similar effort to pursue such an alliance with America's Boeing hasn't made much progress ISRO officials told Business Standard.

Antrix Corporation, ISRO's commercial arm, has signed a memorandum of agreement with EADS Astrium, a subsidiary of the European aerospace and defence conglomerate, to "optimise the INSAT platform" for the latter's payloads.

An ISRO spokesperson said, "We have the capability to launch the resulting satellites onboard our geostationary satellite launch vehicles, but the choice would be up to the customer."

A senior ISRO official said, "Boeing too is interested, but we have not made progress because US government regulations have come in the way." The official said, "Everyone knows what we are capable of, and this is not a deal that involves any technology transfer (from Boeing to ISRO)."

Platforms are the standardised bases onto which payloads plug and play to make any given satellite, ISRO scientists explained. Platforms can form between 70 per cent and 50 per cent of a satellite, with the actual payload making up the rest.

ISRO, "with our spacefaring heritage" was one of the most competitive makers of platforms, they said.

"We have developed our two-tonne class and three-tonne class bus (platform) in such a way that they can easily be adapted to take a commercial payload from just about anyone."

This can be done because in modern satellites, with the exception of the payload, say a communication transponder, the rest will be the same.

Platforms comprise thermal systems, control, structural systems, telemetry commanding systems, and power generation and distribution systems, they said.

"Very few manufacturers have a proven platform with space heritage." In the high risk space business, which includes expensive insurance against a host of potential failures even before a satellite is launched, a proven platform would make all the difference. "By creating alliances, we aim find a niche in the market."