Chennai : What would have been an insipid first half of the calendar year 2020 for the Indian space agency turned a bit interesting towards the end, with the government announcing its decision to open up the sector to private participation.
At the start of 2020, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman and Secretary Department of Space K. Sivan said that the space agency was planning to have 25 launches — including Aditya-L1 satellite, Geo Imaging Satellite (GISAT-1), realisation of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) or small rocket (carrying capacity 500 kg), navigation satellite with indigenous atomic clocks and Indian Data Relay Satellite System (IDRSS), and GSAT-20 satellite with electric propulsion.
Sivan also said India will embark on its third moon mission ‘Chandrayaan-3’ and attempt to land a lander on the lunar surface sometime in 2020-21.
All was going well for ISRO after the crashlanding of India’s moon lander Vikram on the lunar surface in 2019.
The year began well ISRO with the launch of the 3,357 kg communication satellite GSAT-30 by the European space agency Arianespace rocket Ariane 5 on January 17.
The ISRO also showcased its robot/half-humanoid — Vyommitra – which was part of its human space mission programme ‘Gaganyaan’.
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