BENGALURU:Stressing on the need for collaboration between ISRO and the private sector, its Chairman K Sivan has said that `9,000-crore worth components for its satellite launch vehicles will be manufactured by the private industry.The Union government had recently sanctioned `10,400 crore to build 40 satellite launch vehicles — 30 PSLVs and 10 GSLV Mk-IIIs.
Sivan was speaking during the inauguration of the sixth edition of Bengaluru Space Expo (BSX) - 2018, being held at Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre.ISRO has a total of 59 launches lined up for the next three years. However, with Gaganyaan being the agency’s priority now, Sivan said, “We will have to dedicate the next four years for this. So, people at ISRO can’t do anything else.
Therefore, the industry will have to prepare components for the launch vehicles as ISRO concentrates on research and development.” Industry will give “physical strength” for ISRO, while “intellectual activity” will remain with the latter, he said. “(Industry) will not only supply components ... it has now started supplying sub-systems for the launch vehicles,” he said.
He said the first batch of PSLVs made using sub-systems and other components manufactured by the industry will be out in a year. “By the next edition of BSX, we expect the industry to build Small Satellite Launch Vehicle and satellites,” he said.Vice-chairman of CII-Karnataka Aman Choudhari said that space technologies eco-system was worth $383 billion in 2017.