ISRO Satellite Centre, Bengaluru, S.K. Shivakumar revealed that the space agency is planning to send upwards of 10 satellites every year starting 2015. Shivakumar was speaking on the topic “Indian satellites and success of MOM” at the National Science Day lecture at the All-India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH). Launching of at least 10 satellites a year means, ISRO has to double the number of satellite launches, which currently stand at 4 to 5 a year. “Currently, we are launching four or five satellites every year. The idea is to expand our space programs and set off to launch at least 10 satellites per year from 2015 onwards,” Shivakumar said.

Shivakumar said that India has launched a total of 72 satellites on its own from 1975. Further two satellites were launched with the support of foreign agencies. The space scientist also revealed that as many as forty-one countries have taken ISRO’s help in some way or the other to launch their own satellites. Dr. Shivakumar told that there will be big challenges for ISRO to stick to its 10 satellite launches per year target. This will make India to commercialize its space program.

By Premji