India is planning to launch 10-12 communication satellites in the next four years with an investment of over Rs 3,000 crore, chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) G Madhavan Nair said on Tuesday. | |
| "We are planning at ISRO to orbit another 10-12 communications satellites into gso (geo-stationary orbit) in the next four years. These satellites will increase our on-orbit transponder capacity," he said inaugurating a satellite users' interference reduction group 2005 meeting/interference conference. |
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| India's Insat system today consists of eight operational satellites and 144 total communication transponders in C, extended C, ku and S frequency bands. The 10 to 12 planned launches are expected to add an additional 100 to 120 transponders. |
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| "We also have two of these satellites (out of total eight) carrying mateorological payloads, and one satellite being an exclusive meteorological satellite," he said. |
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| Later, talking to reporters, Nair said: "Presently, we have 144 transponders. We need something like 256 transponders before this plan period (2007) itself. Each spacecraft will cost around Rs 300 crore." |
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| According to him, there is a huge demand for transponders from dth (direct-to-home) and vsat sectors as well as for various applications. |
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| There is also need to replace some of the old satellites, he added. |
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