ISRO To Launch 68 Foreign Satellites By Next Year, Including 12 From The US

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning for the launch of a record 68 satellites in one year next year.

¡°We got fresh orders to launch 68 satellites from various countries, including 12 from PlanetiQ, a US-based weather forecasting satellite firm,¡± said Rakesh Sasibhushan, Chairman and Managing Director of Antrix Corporation.

PTI

Most of these satellites are nano-satellites and they will be launched within the next six months.

¡°We also got an order to launch a heavier earth observation satellite from an overseas customer¡±, said Sasibhushan without naming the customer.

ISRO, through Antrix has launched 74 foreign satellites so far, earning a revenue of $80.6 million in the last three years.

BCCL

Earlier this year, ISRO had created history, after it successfully launched 20 satellites, including its own earth observation satellite of the Cartosat-2 series, in a single mission.

Sasibhushan added that with the increase in number of satellites across the world, the organisation has a huge market in the coming years.

¡°We estimate that about 2,500 satellites will be built in the next decade to meet the needs of countries and private customers for navigation, maritime, surveillance and other space-based applications,¡±

BCCL

ISRO, however, will face competition from global players such as BlueOrigin, Firefly Systems, Rocket Lab and SpaceX, which are bracing up to offer cheaper satellite launch services from 2017.