Top official on August 12 revealed that India is ready to launch two space missions every month, with 31 launches slated to take place over the coming 16 months.The state-run Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chairman K. Sivan said, “The space agency has a tight schedule ahead, as we are targeting nine launches over the next five months and 22 missions from February to December in 2019, aiming at two per month.”
Sivan while speaking on the sidelines of an event held to unveil a statue (bust) of the father of India’s space programme, Vikram Sarabhai, on his 99th birth anniversary said, “We have also identified 50 satellites that will be launched over the coming three years.”
Upcoming key missions:
The space agency will be attempting its second lunar mission, “Chandrayaan-2”, on January 3, 2019
ISRO will launch two commercial satellites from Britain in September onboard Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-42 rocket
The launch of GSAT-29 onboard Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk 3 D2 in October to facilitate internet to rural India
The launch of GSAT-11 on November 30 onboard Arianespace space agency’s rocket from French Guiana on the north Atlantic coast of South America
In 2019 it will launch advanced satellites which can perform earth observation, ocean mapping etc.
ISRO will test the reusability of a rocket by testing the landing capacity.
ISRO will also be conducting a test flight in May-June next year of its new rocket, Small Satellite Launch Vehicle
ISRO will outsource the making of PSLV rockets to Indian industry in a bid to set up its launching capacity
It plans to have a student satellite programme by next year, inviting students to build their own satellites to be launched by ISRO
It will also be setting up six incubation centres across the country to interact and promote startups in the space sector
