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ISRO developing a compact launcher for small satellites
Context
A low-cost small satellite launcher could be the next item on the menu of the Indian Space Research Organisation
What has been done?
ISRO could soon have a low cost small satellite launcher which will be able to put satellites of up to 500-600 kg in orbits close to the Earth
Benefits of a small satellite launcher
- Requires Less number of manpower: Its design will enable a handful of engineers to assemble it within a week
- Low development cost: The development cost would be low at a few crore as the new launcher’s requirement of advanced electronics is considerably lower
- Low cost access to space: It could also tremendously cut the launch fee that customers would have to pay
Present situation & how small satellite launcher will help?
- Today, it takes 300-plus engineers and about 40 days to assemble a PSLV. A small launcher that can be got up perhaps in three days by a small team would make a big difference in the market as well as to the launch provider
- For one, satellite operators need not wait one or two years to launch their spacecraft. In shared space rides, satellites going on the same rocket must have compatible sizes and shapes
Demonstration launch
A demonstration launch will be executed in the 2018-19 time frame
ISRO not the 1st
Globally, the small satellites market is booming as they are used for various applications. Some of ISRO’s satellites are also going to reduce in mass. As such, worldwide, operators and private players are developing small launchers to capture the market at a much lower cost
Increased space market
Global space industry consulting firm Euroconsult estimated in July that 6,200 smallsats — many of them constellations — would be launched during 2017-2026 and touch a market value of $30 billion — up from $8.9 billion in the last decade
Backdrop
Since 1999, ISRO’s PSLV rockets have launched 209 small satellites from 28 countries for a fee; they have been for experimental, university or remote-sensing uses. In February this year, a PSLV carried a record 104 satellites to space. The next one planned in January 2018 will carry some 30 small customer satellites to space — their weights ranging from 1 kg to 100 kg
