Indian Space Agency Set For First Commercial Launch Of Foreign Satellite

LAUNCH PAD

The PSLV, capable of carrying 1,000-kilogramme payloads, has previously put in space small, experimental and so-called piggyback satellites for customers including from South Korea, Germany and Belgium. "The PSLV has proved its reliability and versatility with many successes," the ISRO spokesman said. "If this launch too is a success, it will be a good beginning.

by Staff Writers
Bangalore, India (AFP) Apr 12, 2007
India's space agency is to launch an Italian satellite by a home-built rocket this month, its first foreign commercial contract from an overseas customer, a spokesman said Thursday. "April 23rd is the tentative date of the launch," said S. Krishnamurthy, spokesman for the Bangalore-based Indian Space Research Organisation, or ISRO.

Preparations are under way for the launch of the Agile satellite from the Sriharikota space station in southern India, Krishnamurthy said.

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, or PSLV, the workhorse of the Indian space programme, will blast off with the 360-kilogramme Agile on a mission for the Italian Institute of Astrophysics and the Italian Institute of Nuclear Physics.

It's the first time ISRO is launching a foreign satellite as the main payload on commercial terms, said Krishnamurthy, who didn't disclose how much the space agency would receive as payment.

"The PSLV has proved its reliability and versatility with many successes," the ISRO spokesman said. "If this launch too is a success, it will be a good beginning.

"We expect more and more people to show interest in using our launch capability," he added.

India, which started its space programme in 1962, developed the PSLV, which has carried out six consecutive successful missions since 1999, to reduce dependence on foreign space agencies.

Source: Agence France-Presse

Email This Article

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS
Solar Energy Solutions
Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ...

Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News

LAUNCH PAD

Russia To Launch Four US Satellites In May

Moscow (RIA Novosti) Apr 13, 2007
A Soyuz-FG carrier rocket is scheduled to lift off from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan on May 20 to put four U.S. Globalstar satellites into orbit, the Russian space agency said Wednesday.

SPACE TRAVEL Bill Gates Eyes Flight To Space Latest Space Tourist Docks At Space Station For Week Long Holiday Fifth Space Tourist Soars Toward Space Station Holiday In Space Gordon, Miller, Nelson Move Toward Hearings On NASA IG Investigation	MARSDAILY Mars Project To Simulate Radiation Exposure Experiment Simulates Radiation Exposure Characterizing Wind Streaks At Victoria Crater Spirit Begins To Look For Best Access To Home Plate
LAUNCH PAD Indian Space Agency Set For First Commercial Launch Of Foreign Satellite Russia To Launch Four US Satellites In May PSLV-C8 To Be Launched On April 23 ILS Proton Successfully Launches Anik F3 Satellite	EARTH OBSERVATION NOAA And NASA Restore Climate Sensor To Upcoming NPP Satellite High-Resolution Images Herald New Era In Earth Sciences ISRO To Focus On Societal Projects USGS Defines Roles For New Satellite Mission
OUTER PLANETS Rosetta And New Horizons Watch Jupiter In Joint Campaign New Horizons Shows Off Its Color Camera In Io Image Alice Views Jupiter And Io A Look From LEISA	STELLAR CHEMISTRY Featherweight Celestial Pair Has Uncertain Future Together Mystery Spiral Arms Explained Key Stardust Spacecraft Find Questioned X-ray Satellites Catch Magnetar In Gigantic Stellar Hiccup
MOON DAILY Shanghai Vies To Win Battle Of Moon Rovers A Piggyback Solution For Science Versus Exploration Assembling Of Moon Mission Spacecraft Begins Dust-Busting Lunar Style	GPS NEWS GPS Significantly Impacted By Powerful Solar Radio Burst Russia To Expand Glonass Satellite Group By Year End Lockheed Martin Team Completes GPS 3 System Design Review On Schedule Glonass System To Be Launched By Year-End

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement