Manufacture and fly PSLV: ISRO offers private companies to build rockets

Over 25 companies and top space scientists will be participating in a day-long conference in Bengaluru on April 21. This will be a conference done with the main aim to form a consortium where companies will be offered a chance to manufacture and fly Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). After PSLV launched 28 non-Indian satellites from 2013 to 2015, it earned $101 million as commercial launch charges.

With the increase in cash flow, ISRO now is looking at increasing the number of flights to put more satellites into space and privatize the rocket. According to A.S. Kiran Kumar, Chairman of Indian Space and Research Organization, “We are limited by capacity though this (PSLV) is a very good launch vehicle. We want them (industries) to form a consortium to build PSLV and launch satellites. Our target is to have 12 PSLV flights in a year first, then scale it up 18 and even 24 in a year”.

So now ISRO is attempting to work with various industries so that there is more than a single candidate for each component. To speed up the frequency of launches, ISRO has begun construction of one more facility for constructing PSLV in Sriharikota. The facility will be completed by this year.

According to sources, companies such as Godrej & Boyce as well as Larsen & Toubro have been collaborating with the space agency for the same. This 21^st April conference will provide a big time chance to other private companies to come forward and grab the chance to manufacture and fly the PSLV.