NewsClick

NewsClick
  • हिन्दी
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Covid-19
  • Science
  • Culture
  • India
  • International
  • Sports
  • Articles
  • Videos
search
menu

INTERACTIVE ELECTION MAPS

image/svg+xml
  • All Articles
  • Newsclick Articles
  • All Videos
  • Newsclick Videos
  • हिन्दी
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Science
  • Culture
  • India
  • Sports
  • International
  • Africa
  • Latin America
  • Palestine
  • Nepal
  • Pakistan
  • Sri Lanka
  • US
  • West Asia
About us
Subscribe
Follow us Facebook - Newsclick Twitter - Newsclick RSS - Newsclick
close menu
×
For latest updates on nCOVID-19 around the world visit our INTERACTIVE COVID MAP
Science
India

ISRO to Develop Smaller Rockets to Carry Satellites Weighing 500 kg

2018 will be an eventful year for the Indian space agency as several notable launches have been lined up.
IANS
15 Dec 2017
Smallers Rocket

Image Courtesy: Hindustan Times

With the size of earth observation satellites reducing and the future trend moving towards a constellation of small satellites rather than a large one, India's space agency is developing a smaller rocket that can carry satellites weighing up to 500 kg, a senior official said.

India currently gets contracts to launch small satellites largely weighing less than 500 kg and a smaller rocket would be sufficient, he added. He also said 2018 will be an eventful year for the Indian space agency with several notable launches being lined up.

"Owing to advancement in technology, the mass of satellites is coming down -- including that of communication satellites. A lot of start-ups are building small satellites and they would like to put one in orbit at a lower cost," K. Sivan, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), a part of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), told IANS.

According to Sivan, the preliminary design for the proposed four-stage rocket that would weigh around 100 tonnes is ready and its feasibility study has also been conducted. Sivan said the first rocket would be ready in two years once the project gets the necessary approvals.

At present ISRO gets contracts from foreign organisations to carry small satellites. These are largely carried piggy-back whenever India launches a bigger satellite for its own use with the rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

The PSLV rocket has three variants weighing between 230 tonnes and 320 tonnes, with a carrying capacity ranging between 1,100 kg and 1,900 kg.

Sivan said a smaller rocket will be sufficient to tap the small satellite segment.

Looking forward to 2018, Sivan said it is going to be an eventful year with several launches, including the country's second Chandrayaan moon mission.

Sivan said ISRO will be launching a Cartosat satellite and several foreign satellites as piggy-back with the PSLV rocket sometime in January 2018.

He said the country's heaviest communication satellite -- the GSAT 11, weighing over five tonnes -- would be launched next year by Arianespace's Ariane rocket.

Get the latest reports & analysis with people's perspective on Protests, movements & deep analytical videos, discussions of the current affairs in your Telegram app. Subscribe to NewsClick's Telegram channel & get Real-Time updates on stories, as they get published on our website.
ISRO
Satellites
VSSC
GSAT 11
PSLV
Smaller Rockets
Related Stories

Privatisation in Space: Poor Prospects and the Inevitable Lurking Dangers

ISRO’s ‘High-Power’ GSAT-30 Satellite Successfully Launched by Ariane Rocket

ISRO’s ‘High-Power’ GSAT-30 Satellite Successfully Launched by Ariane Rocket

NASA Finds Debris of Chandrayaan 2’s Vikram Lander on Moon

NASA Finds Debris of Chandrayaan 2’s Vikram Lander on Moon

NCERT to Revise National Curriculum Framework, Panel by Month-end

NCERT to Revise National Curriculum Framework, Panel by Month-end

Chandrayaan 2

Chandrayaan-2 Slips Between Cup and Lip

Chandrayan-2

Chandrayaan-2: Lander Fails But Not Everything's Lost

Second Moon Mission – Chandrayaan 2

ISRO Successfully Launches India's Second Moon Mission – Chandrayaan 2

50 Years of the First Human Landing on Moon

Chandrayaan 2

Why Was the Launch of Chandrayan-2 Stopped?

Chandrayaan-2 and the Indian Space Journey

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare via EmailShare on RedditShare on KindlePrint
Share
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare via EmailShare on RedditShare on KindlePrint
Share

Related Stories

PTI

Roddam Narasimha: An Authority on Fluid Mechanics and Aerodynamics

15 December 2020
Bengaluru:
PTI

US Court Asks Antrix to Pay $1.2 Billion in Damages to Bengaluru Start-up

30 October 2020
Washington: A US court has asked Antrix Corpor
Newsclick Report

More Than 75% Patents Filed in India Over 13 Years by Foreign Nationals and Companies

10 September 2020
About 76% of patents filed in India over the past 13 years have been by foreigners residing outside the country.

Pagination

  • Next page ››

More

  • TMC, AIADMK Release Candidate List for Assembly Polls

    TMC, AIADMK Release Candidate List for Assembly Polls

  • HP eco down

    Himachal Pradesh to Clock Negative Growth of 6.2% in FY21 Due to Pandemic: Eco Survey

  • Coronavirus-Hit  Maharashtra  Economy to Contract 8% in FY21: Eco Survey

    Coronavirus-Hit Maharashtra Economy to Contract 8% in FY21: Eco Survey

  • chian gdp

    China Sets Over 6% GDP Target in 2021 as Economy in Rebound Mode

  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with
about