India’s heavy lift LVM3 rocket will fly a US communication satellite on a commercial mission, marking a boost to ISRO’s launch services.
ISRO will launch a United States communication satellite on a commercial mission next month using its heavy lift rocket LVM3, Chairman V Narayanan confirmed on Monday. The launch date is yet to be finalised, but the mission will mark another international contract for India’s space agency as it expands its commercial portfolio.
Speaking at the 68th Annual Day event of the Indian Railways Institute of Signal Engineering and Telecommunications in Hyderabad, Narayanan said the upcoming mission reflects growing global confidence in India’s launch capabilities. He added that India’s space program is advancing rapidly and is expected to match the capabilities of leading space faring nations by the year 2040 in areas such as satellite deployment, launch frequency, communication systems, and advanced applications.
Narayanan said ISRO currently has 57 satellites in orbit, and that number is expected to triple within the next 3 years as new missions are rolled out to support national requirements and commercial demand. He noted that several major initiatives are underway under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The chairman emphasised that India’s long term strategy focuses on building a stronger presence in the global space market while driving innovation across launch systems, satellite technologies, and space based services.
