ISRO to Transfer 50% of PSLV Development to Indian Industry
ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan has announced that the space agency will transfer 50% of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) development to an Indian industry consortium. This major shift follows two successful demonstration launches by the consortium led by HAL and L&T, with the first rocket scheduled for launch by February 2025.
Key Takeaways
- ISRO will transfer 50% of PSLV development to Indian industry after two successful consortium launches
- Indian industry already contributes 80-85% of systems for ISRO missions
- First consortium-built PSLV to launch by February 2025
- Over 450 Indian industries and 330+ startups support ISRO missions
Industry’s Growing Role in Space Sector
Narayanan highlighted the substantial contribution of Indian industry, noting that 80-85% of systems for missions like the CMS-03 communication satellite launched using LVM3-M5 ‘Bahubali’ rocket were delivered by domestic companies. “That’s the volume of the contribution by the Indian industries,” the ISRO chairman asserted.
Approximately 450 industries currently support ISRO’s space missions, demonstrating the sector’s manufacturing capabilities and technical expertise.
Major Milestones and Reforms
The space sector reforms have triggered remarkable growth in private participation. From just 3-4 startups working on space programs initially, India now boasts a thriving ecosystem of over 330 space startups.
In another significant development, ISRO has transferred Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) technology to HAL through a Rs 511 crore agreement, with plans to produce 16 SSLVs through private industries.
Historic Achievements and Future Vision
Narayanan recalled India’s landmark achievements including:
- Chandrayaan-3 Moon landing (August 23, 2023) – First successful soft landing near lunar south pole
- Mars Orbiter Mission – Spacecraft traveled 600 million km with engine restarting after 295 days
- Indigenous cryogenic engines – Three propulsion systems developed after technology denial in 1990s
- 100th rocket launch completed on January 29, 2024
- 32-bit indigenous processor developed jointly with HCL
India currently operates 56 satellites for communication, navigation, and Earth observation. The government aims to scale this fleet three to four times while increasing annual launches from 10-12 to around 50 within five years, marking an ambitious expansion of India’s space capabilities.
