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News:
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has roped in three partners to assemble 27 satellites over the next three years.
Important facts:
2. Recently in Bengaluru, its nodal satellites division URSC (U.R. Rao Satellite Centre) signed separate three-year contracts with Alpha Design Technologies P Ltd and its six consortium members; with defence public enterprise Bharat Electronics Ltd; and with Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, Hyderabad.
3. Each partner will work with the URSC to produce three small to medium satellites each year, or a total of 27 spacecraft by July 2021.
4. About 50 members from each partner will separately work with URSC engineers to complete the project.
5. The Alpha-plus consortium includes small and medium-sized companies.
6. URSC estimates a requirement of around 71 satellites till 2021.
7. In 2017, it made a record 12 spacecraft but is unable to cope with a growing demand from new applications.
8. Around 35 Indian spacecraft are active in space and will need to be replaced as they expire over time.
9. It is learnt that URSC unit, ISRO Satellite Integration and Test Establishment or ISITE, will provide three separate work stations for the three partners.
10. URSC, so far produced over 100 spacecraft, opened up AIT to industry last year and 13 private and public sector companies had responded.
The space agency launches three types of satellites – for communication, Earth observation and navigation.
