Arianespace to use Indian platform

Arianespace, the Euro 980-million satellite launch service and solutions company, would be using Indian launch platforms for the first time in its ten-year collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), next year.

This is a step ahead in the partnership between the two space organisations. Arianespace is also optimistic about marketing the Indian GSLV and PSLV vehicles for international clientele by the end of next year.

Jean-Yves Le Gall, chairman, Arianespace, said on Wednesday these new steps were very important to the partnership they have with ISRO because India is now a major player in space activities, even though that may not immediately translate into bigger revenues to the company.

"We will be using the eastern Indian launch platform, which is of the highest standard compared with other facilities like in French Guiana, to launch Insat-4 G and one more satellite by Arianespace launch vehicle next year," he told the media.

Though the usage of Indian space launch vehicles was on the cards for quite some time, it could not materialise because of certain limitations about their capabilities and customers' trust in them, he said, adding that the situation has now changed.

"We are going to start real marketing of GSLV for smaller satellites," Le Gall said while responding to a question on the partnership remaining a one-sided affair.

Arianespace is scheduled to make six launches, each of which takes two satellites into the space this year while it proposes to increase the number of launches to 7-8 next year.