ISRO to develop launch vehicles to carry higher payloads

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, APRIL 23. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has drawn up a proposal to develop launch vehicles for carrying payloads of up to five tonnes, the Chairman of ISRO, Dr. K. Kasturirangan, said here on Monday.

The ISRO chief, who is on a visit to the ISRO units to compliment the staff on the successful launch of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), told presspersons that the proposal would be presented to the Central Government shortly for decision making.

Dr. Kasturirangan said that efforts were on to increase payload capacity of the launch vehicles. Normally, the payload portion in the total weight of the launch vehicle was 0.5 per cent. The ISRO had been able to increase it to 0.7 to 0.8 per cent.

Asked whether the ISRO proposed to commercialise its launch services, he said that the priority was to be self reliant. "We cannot let it (our space programme) to be dependent on geopolitical developments. The services will be offered on a commercial basis only if extra capacity is there."

Asked whether it was not better for the country to develop its own technology instead of depending on the Russian cryogenic model, Dr. Kasturirangan said that it was not unusual to depend on other countries in space technology. "We are also developing our own capabilities. If we have the capability to assimilate other technologies, we can speed up our own programmes. The threshold is to have the capability. So, it is good strategy (to depend on the Russians)."

He claimed that the cryogenic stage being developed by the ISRO would not be identical with the Russian. The rocket would be capable of carrying 250 kg more of payload than the Russian stage. The Director of VSSC, Dr. G. Madhavan Nair, added that the indigenously fabricated cryogenic engine was tested successfully last year.

He said that the shortfall in achieving the correct orbit by the GSLV was not significant. The rocket went off by over 3000 km and the shortfall in velocity was only 0.6 per cent. The ISRO was working on a strategy to correct this. With the launching of the GSLV, India had joined the exclusive club of six countries with capability to put satellites into geosynchronous orbits.

Asked whether under performance was by cryogenic stage, Dr. Kasturirangan said that detailed analysis was needed to determine this.

He said that this year would be hectic for the ISRO. Technical preparations were on to operationalise the launch of two tonne satellites. A PSLV launch carrying an advanced Indian telecommunication satellite besides one German and Belgian satellites was planned by the middle of this year. The INSAT 1C was also proposed to be launched this year. The second Development flight of GSLV would take place in one and half years.

The Project Director of GSLV Programme, Dr. R. V. Perumal, was also present at the airport.

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