The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning on developing high throughput communication satellites in order to meet the growing demand for broadband connectivity in the country. Speaking at the convocation ceremony at the Birla Institute…
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning on developing high throughput communication satellites in order to meet the growing demand for broadband connectivity in the country.
Speaking at the convocation ceremony at the Birla Institute of Technology & Science, ISRO chairman K. Radhakrishnan said that the space agency wants to produce satellites that could deliver 15kW of power and provide more than 100 Gbps of capacity.
In order to do this, Radhakrishnan said that ISRO is looking to work with foreign partners who have the necessary technological understanding.
Radhakrishnan was quoted by local media as saying: “The space organisation is in the process of developing various technologies and also in the process of finding a suitable foreign industrial alliance to acquire the technology and upgrade its current satellite platforms to meet the future demand.”
ISRO has worked with European satellite manufacturer Airbus Defence and Space since 2006. The pair jointly constructed Eutelsat’s W2M satellite and then Avanti Communications’ Hylas-2 spacecraft.
In 2008, Airbus DS signed a long term agreement with Antrix, the commercial arm of ISRO, to utilise the Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The rocket has subsequently successfully launched Airbus’ Spot 6 and 7 Earth observation satellites in September 2012 and June 2014 respectively.
In his speech, Radhakrishnan also said that ISRO’s heavy lift rocket GSLV Mark-III is scheduled for its first flight in the next two to three months.
He said that the launch vehicle will be capable of lifting a 4.5 ton satellite into geostationary orbit.