GSLV Mark III launch targetted for 2009: Nair

Bangalore, May 11: ISRO's dream to launch a four tonne class satellite from an indigenous launch vehicle will come true in 2009 when GSLV-MK III roars into the skies from the Satish Dhawan Spaceport in Sriharikota.

Disclosing this to reporters on the sidelines of a workshop on 'Delivery Systems to Promote Science and Technology among Rural People', organised by ISRO and DAVP here, ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair said the launch vehicle, which would make India totally self reliant in space technology would be different from both PSLV and GSLV.

''The satellites in INSAT-4 series will be in the range of 3.5 to four tones and Mark-III will be key to indengeously launch these satellites. We have been on with this job for the last three years. The first launch will be in 2009. Once this becomes operational we will not need to depend for outside help to launch heavier satellites," he said.

In this system, the ISRO would use the cryogenic engines with larger solid boosters carrying 200 tonnes propellans. "This cryogenic stage will have 20 tonnes of thrust power compared to 7.5 tonnes of the present engines," he said.

Mr Nair said ISRO had begun dialogue with European Satellite Telecommunication Organisation (W2M) as it falls under its range. "I am confident that this project will come through by the year 2008-09," he said.

Mr Nair said that the country's indigenous Cryogenic engine had been fully qualified. Short duration stage test had been completed. However long duration test was yet to take place. "We are preparing the stage for that. Dates are yet to be fixed," he said. He said ISRO was going ahead briskly with its commercial satellite launch missions. "We have three contracts in the pipeline. Some European countries and Indonesia among our Asian neighbours are interested in sending their satellites for launch from India. We are hoping that this would come through," he said.

ISRO would launch country's first space platform that would work as a observatory system in space. "A 500 to 600 kg satellite which would be launched in 2008 will have a simultaneous observation capability in the feasible UV, X-ray and Gamma Ray band and can be turned to any part of the sky. It can be used to study the galaxies the black hole, the super nova," he added.

On the prestigious mission to the Moon, he said ISRO had a brain storming session last year and following that the Centre had allocated Rs 80-crore to workout the details of the technology. ISRO would submit a pre-project study report within a year, he said.

On Cartosat, he said ISRO was now trying to sell the images outside India. "There are not many players who are ready to trade these images at present." The United States was collecting data from India through Metsat by ISRO for its international programme.

ISRO would be launching a Oceansat to replace the one which was in operation but at the end of its life. "The new one will be more powerful and it would have a scatterometer which will be looking at the wind from the surface of the ocean," he added.

UNI