PTI

Bangalore, Mar 19: Eyeing to garner a significant share of the global satellite launch services market, India has initiated steps to build rockets that can carry ten tonne class spacecraft, five Times its current capability.

India currently has launch vehicles capable of orbiting two-tonne (2000 kgs) class satellites.

Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation G Madhavan Nair said ISRO was working on cryogenic stage that would upgrade the capacity of home-grown Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV) to carry 2.5 tonne-class satellites.

India’s space scientists have taken up GSLV-MK III programme that’s aimed at boosting the capability of GSLV’s carrying capacity to up to four tonnes. GSLV-MK III is expected to be operational by the turn of the current decade.

"Once GSLV-MK III becomes operational, then you don’t have to go outside for any launch", Nair told PTI here. "By that time commercially we should be able to give a better option for others (those who want to use Indian rockets) to come and do that (launch)."

He added, "but at the same time, in the long run, we must be developing much more powerful rocket systems. That’s why we are taking some initiatives on semi-cryogenic engine development. Already some study projects are going on".

"When we are talking about next generation systems, it may be much more heavier...The platform to be taken to space. So, we may have to double the capacity by the year 2020 at least", said Nair, who added that ISRO is looking to enhance the capacity of GSLV to carry 10-tonne class satellites by that time.

ISRO, meanwhile, is negotiating with Eads Astrium, the satellite manufacturing division of European aerospace giant Eads, for building satellites for other countries.

"Some discussions are going on. I think that route (joint satellite development) seems to be good. Actually, we are able to exploit the strength of both organisations", Nair said.

ISRO-Astrium had already bagged orders for joint development of two satellites -- W2M for Eutelsat communications and HYLAS for Avanti communications.

Nair said GSLV was being proposed for launch of 2-2.5 tonne class satellites under the ISRO-Astrium pact.

ISRO has an MoU with Astrium to jointly address the commercial market for communications satellites with payload power below four KW and a launch mass in the range of two to three tonnes.

The aim of this cooperation is to optimise the Insat 2K and 3K platforms along with Astrium payloads.