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India: Space Body to Launch 12 Communication Satellites

Posted on: Thursday, 22 September 2005, 06:00 CDT

Text of report by Indian Doordarshan DDTV news channel on 21 September

The Indian Space Research Organization [ISRO] is all set to launch 12 communication satellites over the next four years. Currently, the country's INSAT system has eight operational satellites and 144 communication transponders and is accountable for taking television and telephone to almost 90 per cent of the country. The demand for transponders has been pumped by the DTH [Direct To Home] and V-SAT sectors. However, a few ageing satellites will also be removed during the mission. Since 1968, India has launched 10 remote sensing and several broadcast satellites. Addressing a press conference in Bangalore yesterday, ISRO Chairman Madhavan Nair said ISRO's ambitious plan of 30bn rupee project will add another 100 to 120 transponders in orbit.

[Begin Madhavan Nair, recording] Basically, you have seen that, you know, right now we are having about 144 transponders. We have to have something like 256 before end of the plan period itself. It is already approved by the government. I don't remember the exact numbers. But, these spacecraft will cost around 300 crores [rupees]. So that is the kind of (?guessing). But, there is a huge demand, especially for the DTH sector and the V-SATs which are coming in and in various other applications we have. Also there is a need for replacing some of the old satellites. So that is the number which I have projected.

Source: BBC Monitoring Media

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