A locally-built launch vehicle for India’s communication satellites will be ready by next year, principal scientific advisor to the government A.P. Abdul Kalam said on Thursday.
“By 2001, we will have our own vehicle for launching heavier Insat satellites used for communication,” Kalam was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.
Presently, vehicles made by the French company Ariane are used to launch India’s Insat satellites, he said.
“Indian Space Research Organisation is developing the first indigenous geosynchronous launch vehicle (GSLV) using Russian cryogenic engines which will be used to launch future communication satellites,” he said.
However, last month India’s first test firing of its most ambitious rocket engine meant to launch the GSLV failed.
India hopes to tap into the global commercial satellite launch market which uses 20 to 30 launches a year with total fees of about 2.5 billion dollars.
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