The Hindu : Plan to launch re-usable spacecraft

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 09, 2003

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National

Plan to launch re-usable spacecraft

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD Aug 8. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to launch a re-usable 500-kg spacecraft along with a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, by early 2005.

Talking to reporters here on the sidelines of a national symposium on `Strategic materials and technologies for composites', the Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, G. Madhavan Nair, said the spacecraft, which would ride piggyback a PSLV, could be positioned in orbit for a month for doing experiments on materials processing and biological matters. It could be later brought back for reuse.

At present, a few countries, including the U.S., Russia and China had the capability to launch re-usable spacecraft. He said plans were afoot to launch GSLV- Mark III, which would give India the capability to launch a four-tonne satellite. This would also bring down the cost by 15 per cent, he added.

He said that besides launching the satellites of some developing countries, the Department of Space was negotiating with a few Asian and European nations for the sale of old launch vehicles. The department had invested Rs. 60 crores, out of the Rs. 250 crores in the national R and D programme, for smart materials.

The Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, V. K. Aatre, said that awareness programme on smart materials application was organised for the industry earlier. He emphasised the need for converting the technologies developed by the Defence sector for civilian use. This, he said, had not taken place, except in the biomedical field. The response from the industry was not encouraging though it was exposed to defence technologies at three open house meets organised in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune.

Responding to a question, he said that none of the programmes started under the Integrated Missile Development Programme (IMDP) was being abandoned. "Some are in the R and D mode and some in the user-mode," he said, adding that though there were some technical problems, the Nag and Akash missiles were getting ready.

The Director of the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), K.V. Raghavan, said IICT was on the threshold of developing a bundle of carbon nanotubes, which would have wide applications.

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