satellite system has satellites for different areas of application such as OceanSat, CartoSat, and ResourceSat.
Satellite launch services for international customers
ISRO has successfully launched over 300 satellites, including 237satellites for foreign countries, on board ISRO’ s PSLV. The 237 satellites belong to 28 countries( including Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK and the US).
Antrix Corporation Limited( ACL) is ISRO’ s commercial arm responsible for promotion and commercial exploitation of products and services emanating from the Indian space programme. Antrix Corporation Limited had earlier built two advanced communication satellites- W2M and Hylas- for European customers, in collaboration with EADS-Astrium, France. These satellites are currently being operated by the respective end-users. It has also supplied satellite subsystems, such as sun-sensors, to international customers. Further, it has been proposed to seriously explore opportunities for the supply of sub systems to international satellite builders.
ACL also serves prestigious global satellite owners / operators for Telemetry and Tele- Command( TTC) services using ISRO’ s ground stations. Till date, support has been provided for over 20 foreign satellite missions. ACL currently enables direct reception and processing of IRS data from four IRS satellites at four international ground stations / processing facilities outside India. These include GAF Germany( Oceansat-2 and Resourcesat-2): CRIES, Algeria( Cartosat-1): NGO Iran( Cartosat-1); and KSAT, Norway( RISAT-1). It also markets IRS data products sourced from ISRO globally.
What makes India’ s programme stand out on a global level?
Low cost, collaboration and an unwavering focus on utilisation of space applications for the common man have been the hallmarks of India’ s space programme. IndianPrime Minister Narendra Modi praised the cost-effective nature of the Indian space programme, famously statingthat while a taxi ride costs Rs 10 per km
in India, India could reach Mars at the rate of Rs 7 per km through India’ s Mars Orbiter Mission.
Unlike most other countries, ISRO’ s activities started in the civilian domain, with the prime objective of bringing in space technology for societal benefit and development. ISRO has developed satellites that assist in a number of areas such as weather monitoring, climaterelated changes, disaster management, cyclone and flood warning, and so on. ISRO has also employed space technology for tele-education and tele-medicine.
Collaboration has been another hallmark of India’ s space programme. ISRO has been roping in academic institutions in endeavors such as making payloads. One such example is that of ASTROSAT, the large and complex instrumentsof which were developed at academic institutions in India such as the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, the Indian Institute of Science, the Raman Research Institute, and the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics. At a global level too, collaboration brings down the cost of doing similar things. ISRO collaborates with international agencies for missions such as Mega-Tropiques.‘ Chandrayaan-1’ had also been globallyrecognised. It carried payloads of space agencies including NASA, the European Space Agency, andthe Bulgarian Aerospace Agency.
International cooperation in the space sector
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