BENGALURU: India's ambitious programme to launch 40 rockets into space within the next four years will provide a major boost to employment, according to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Kailasavadivoo Sivan.
The first batch of 12 rockets are set to blast off into space within a year. Speaking on the sidelines of the annual Air Chief Marshal L M Katre Memorial Lecture here on Saturday, Sivan told The New Indian Express that 85 per cent of the Rs10,900 crore approved by the Centre last month for this project will be utilised for components supplied by private players to assemble the rocket s.Altogether 30 Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLVs) and 10 Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicles (GSLV) MK III (ISRO's Fat Boy) rockets are targeted to be in space by 2022.
"ISRO has been launching only three to four rockets annually. We are looking at sending 12 to 18 rockets each year, with everything done indigenously. So the firms supplying us all our parts need to ramp up their production capacity massively and hire additional manpower to meet our demand... Hiring in large numbers will have to take place, particularly in the manufacturing, fabrication and quality control sectors," he said. Mishra Dhatu Nigam Ltd (MIDHANI), Godrej Aerospace, Walchand Industries Limited (WIL), Larsen & Tubro and HAL are among nearly 500 firms that will supply parts for these satellites.
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ISRO has set itself a deadline of launching at least 12 rockets by next July, Sivan said. Asked if the huge number of 40 rockets in four years was achievable, he said, "Even if we are unable to launch all of them, we will achieve something near this target, which is creditable."
Asked about the impact of these launches on India, Sivan said the satellites that take care of Direct-to-Home connections and broadband will expire next year and GSLV rockets will ensure continuity of these services by sending their replacements. It will also help in realising the dream of providing in-flight broadband services.
The PSLVs will ensure more accurate data regarding weather forecasting, disaster warnings as well as help farmers with details on soil health and crop production, he said.