Delivery Of Cryogenic Engine May Be Delayed

Rush of orders for Russian launch vehicle

Delivery of the first Russian cryogenic engine to India could be delayed by about six months following unexpected orders for the Russian launch vehicle `Proton from global telecom satellite operators.

This has forced the Russian space agency, Glavcosmos, to use all available launchers and rocket stages for up to six launches in the next one year. Therefore, it may not be able to honour its commitment to deliver the first cryogenic engine to India by the year-end, sources said.

Under pressure from the United States, Russia had abandoned its cryogenic engine technology transfer deal with India in 1993, and instead had signed up for delivery of seven engines for Rs 235 crore. The first of the engines was to be delivered in 1997-end for use aboard the Geostationary Launch Vehicle (GSLV) scheduled for launch in early 1998.

 

Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) chief K Kasturirangan was non committal when asked if the cryogenic engine delivery has been delayed. The project is progressing, he told Business Standard here.

Indian sources said if the cryogenic engine is delayed by six months, then it could put back the first GSLV flight by atleast eight months.

This is because if the March launch window is missed, Isro might have to wait till November or December. Also, it will take over six months to mate the Russian cryogenic engine upper stage with the Indian GSLV. Informed sources said that Glavcosmos had been in touch with Isro on a possible delay in the engine delivery.

Proton uses the cryogenic engine as its upper stage and can launch up to three tonnes in geostationary orbit. It has been the workhorse of the Russian space programme since two decades.

Russian sources said that Proton had been experiencing an order glut as operators like Inmarsat, Irridium and a host of other telephone, television and multi-media satellite majors were shopping for launch services.

They had turned their attention to the Russians as US and European launchers were booked and the Chinese Long March rocket had technical problems.

The Russians were reaping huge profits from launching western satellites, ironically from a US-Russia deal designed to keep them uncompetitive in the launch business. In the early 1990s, when the Russians were heavily undercutting, the US government arm-twisted Russia into accepting a deal that they will not quote below 7.5 per cent of the available western price.

Now that there are more satellites than launchers, the same US deal is helping them to make profits.