ISRO to launch 14 satellites by 2017

Faced with a massive demand for transponders, India plans to launch 14 communication satellites by 2017, sources in Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said. The Department of Space has projected a demand for 794 transponders in the 12th plan (2012-17) from the operational transponder capacity of 187 from INSAT-GSAT satellites as of March this year. The proposed satellites are aimed at increasing the transponder capacity and introducing new generation broadband VSAT systems and Ka band systems.