Almost a year ago, India and the US signed what is known as Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA), which strengthened the relationship between the two countries in the realm of space technology. Recently, this pact became a reality when India?s polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) for the first time placed in orbit a satellite with a large number of US components.

The 200-kg Alsat (Algerian satellite), owned by Algerian Space Agency, was built by a French company with several US-made parts. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) officials inform that the Alsat launch was significant because it was the first one following the signing of the TSA between India and the US. The agreement facilitates the launch of US satellites and satellites with US components on Indian launch vehicles. Another important aspect of the launch of an Algerian satellite was that this is for the first time that India has launched a satellite for an African country.

ISRO currently launches satellites using the PSLV and the geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) for geostationary satellites. According to ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan, besides launching 17 Indian satellites, PSLV has also launched 22 foreign satellites during 1994-2009 into polar sun synchronous, geosynchronous transfer, highly elliptical and low earth orbits and has repeatedly proved its reliability and versatility. ?The next PSLV rocket will carry multiple satellites?Resourcesat-2 and two small satellites,? he adds. The launch is slated before October this year.

It has been envisaged by many scientists that the future of satellite technology lies in small satellites. Something that has generally gone unnoticed during a few recent ISRO launches is the space agency?s interests in the small satellite launch business. Globally, the commercial satellite launch business is estimated at around $2.5 billion and growing rapidly over the next couple of years. In October 2008 too, India launched its Chandrayan-1 with payloads from different countries. It is obvious that ISRO is seriously looking at launching satellites from other countries, opening a new source of income for the country in the international space market.

As if this is not enough, ISRO officials point out that India can also become a major player in the global small satellite manufacturing industry. Small satellites are being continuously launched by ISRO both for India as well as for overseas clients in the last few years. During the last few years ISRO has built its reputation as a reliable satellite launch agency. The global market for low earth orbit (LEO) satellites is witnessing a surge and ISRO is doing its bit to gain access to this market. During the last three years, ISRO has earned more than Rs 100 crore by undertaking commercial satellite launches. Till date, it has launched more than 20 satellites?mostly small satellites?for other countries and currently has orders for approximately ten more such launches.

The ten foreign satellites that ISRO will launch come from Algeria, Singapore, Japan, Canada, Netherlands, and two from Indonesia. Space analysts inform that 416 satellites will be launched to LEO (upto an altitude of 2,000 km), on board 184 vehicles during 2010-14. India?s PSLV, suited for LEO launches, stands to gain, they reckon. Known as the workhorse of ISRO, PSLV took Oceansat and six nanosatellites from abroad to space last year.

Space analysts feel that India will become a major player in the emerging small satellite manufacturing industry. ISRO has estimated a market potential of 50 satellites over the next decade, worth around $1.5 billion. With this in mind, the space agency has set up a special team to manufacture small satellites. Several small satellite makers like foreign and Indian universities have used PSLV, which is the preferred launch vehicle for any class of polar satellites. Typically, PSLV accommodates tiny satellites along with the main payload. ISRO charges $22,000 to $25,000 for launching satellites of 1 kg of payload.

In the next couple of years, there will be dozens of tiny satellites weighing between one to 20 kg that will be headed to LEO. In the past four years compared to previous years, more nanosats and picosats have gone up and this will continue, analysts inform. Nanosatellites weigh between one and 10 kg and picosats under a kg.

A question arises as to why small satellites are in demand these days? The advantages of small satellites are that their mass and volume are low, and they are therefore less expensive to be carried to their orbits. Also, they take less time to build and the money required is also far lesser than large satellites. The small satellites can be used in remote sensing, atmospheric monitoring, gas detection, pollution monitoring, ionospheric tomography, ocean monitoring and studies, low earth orbit communications, stellar monitoring, space physics experimentation, data collection and others. Small satellites also give a good performance owing to miniaturisation, From a carrier?s point of view, simultaneous launch of several small satellites is possible if the orbit is same. Here again, PSLV stands to gain.

ISRO has two small satellite variants?micro and mini. The micro satellites weigh 100 kg with a payload capacity of 30-40 kg, while the mini satellites would weigh 400 kg with a payload capacity of 200 kg. In April this year, ISRO shot its first mini satellite weighing 85 kg on board the PSLV-C9. It will launch its second micro satellite YOUTHSAT next year, carrying two Indian payloads and one from Moscow University, Russia.Also, later this year, SARAL, a mini satellite with French payload is likely to be launched.

Interestingly, as ISRO pushes the throttle forward on its plans to tap the commercial launch business for small satellites, it is in competition with the Britain-based Surrey Satellite Technology, OHB Germany, Canada?s MDA and Comdev, Israel Aerospace Industries, Orbital Sciences in the US, Thales Alenia in Europe among others. Nevertheless, the latest success by ISRO makes India a serious contender in the lucrative and fast growing commercial satellite launch business expected to grow rapidly over the next several years.