Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is betting big on increasing its revenue from carrying spacecrafts from other countries after the successful launch of PSLV.
Isro chairman G Madhavan Nair said, ?Our revenue would go up by 10% if there is a new launch.? Isro earned Rs 1,000 crore in 2008-09 and is likely to increase that by Rs 250 crore more this fiscal.
Almost 15-20% of Isro?s revenue comes from carrying spacecrafts from other countries. ?Meanwhile a European launcher has been delayed. This would help us in getting customers from Europe now. This is one of the reason people are looking at PSLV now,? Nair said. The nodal space research organisation of India is already in talks with US for launching their satellites. ?Hope it will materialise soon,? Nair said. Present in Kolkata to deliver MP Birla Memorial Award, 2009, Nair said Astrosat will be launched in 2010. Astrosat?India?s astronomy satellite?would help in the study of astrophysical objects ranging from nearby solar system elements to distant stars.
?It will be able to pick up photon level signals emitted from objects in the space,? he said. The photon counting detectors of this instrument have been developed jointly by the Indian team and the Canadian Space Agency.
Astrosat 2 is scheduled to be launched in 2015, the same year Isro is planning man-mission in the space. It has also planned to send Mars orbiter by 2016. ?We will finalise Mars mission in a year. Scientific ideas are not coming through. That is delaying the project,? he said.