India to launch 12 foreign satellites in next two years
June 2nd, 2011 - 12:09 am ICT by IANS
Bangalore, June 1 (IANS) India has bagged multi-million dollar contracts to launch 12 foreign satellites in the lower orbit from its spaceport over the next two years, a top space agency official said Wednesday.
“Through our commercial arm Antrix Corporation, we have received orders from Canada, Indonesia, Germany and other European countries to launch a dozen satellites in the sun-synchronous orbit during the next two years,” state-run Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K. Radhakrishnan told reporters here.
Of the 12 satellites, four are from Canada, two each from Indonesia and Germany and one from Luxembourg. The remaining three spacecraft are from universities in Europe.
“We have an order from Germany to launch an 800-kg dedicated satellite (N-Map) for environmental studies. The other satellites, weighing between 80-100 kg will be launched on board our polar satellite launch vehicles (PSLVs) as additional payloads along with Indian communications or remote-sensing satellites,” an Antrix official said.
Antrix is also in negotiations with France to launch a remote sensing satellite (EnMAP) in the lower orbit.
India has already launched a total of 26 foreign satellites during the past decade for various countries, including Germany, Italy, Israel, Korea and Singapore.
- Failed mission not to impact May satellite launch - Apr 18, 2010
- Indian remote sensing satellite beams high quality images - Jul 21, 2010
- Risat-1 satellite raised to its intended orbit - Apr 28, 2012
- India launches remote-sensing satellite Oceansat2 (Lead) - Sep 23, 2009
- ISRO's PSLV C-16 rocket launched successfully - Apr 20, 2011
- India launches Oceansat-2, six European satellites (Second lead) - Sep 23, 2009
- EIAST signs contract for DubaiSat-2 with Russia's ISCK - Feb 16, 2011
- India's ocean satellite relays images, data (With Images) - Oct 12, 2009
- India launches five satellites at one go (Roundup) - Jul 12, 2010
- Review of Indian cryogenic engine holds up rocket launch - Jan 04, 2010
- India's latest satellite to beam pictures from Thursday - Apr 25, 2011
- India puts Oceansat-2, six European satellites in orbit (Roundup) - Sep 23, 2009
- Rocket failure hits India's prospects in satellite launch market - Dec 29, 2010
- ISRO to launch French satellite - Apr 03, 2012
- India launches five satellites at one go (Second Lead) - Jul 12, 2010
Tags: commercial arm, decade, dollar contracts, dozen satellites, european countries, indian space research, indian space research organisation, indonesia, isro chairman, launch vehicles, negotiations, payloads, polar satellite, radhakrishnan, remote sensing satellites, space agency official, spacecraft, spaceport, synchronous orbit, universities in europe