The ISRO has had it share of failed programmes. But what is important to note is that the organisation is a quick learner and has always tried to overcome its inadequacies. Now the ISRO is planning to launch its latest communication satellite, INSAT-4CR, from Sriharikota spaceport on September 2, and it is basically to make up for the launch failure of INSAT-4C. That satellite had failed to reach orbit due to a launch vehicle malfunction. After the Geo-Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) followed, more or less, its predefined trajectory for about 12 km, it started veering off course, because the first stage failed to separate. Its four strap-on motors failed to work during the initial stage of the launch, causing an approximate loss of Rs 250 crore.

The proposed INSAT-4CR (R stands for replacement) mission is an identical mission with a lifespan of 10 years. It carries 12 high-power Ku-band transponders designed to provide direct-to-home (DTH) television services, facilitate video picture transmission and digital satellite news gathering. This entire INSAT-4 series is a series of seven satellites, with 4A and 4B being already operational.

The INSAT-4CR will be launched by a three-stage GSLV into geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). This vehicle is capable of putting around 2,500-kg class satellites into the orbit. The ISRO has designed the first stage of this vehicle based on its PSLV design — a large solid rocket augmented by four liquid fuelled strap-on boosters. The second stage is the liquid fuel stage, again based on PSLV design, powered by a Vikas engine. The third stage is a cryogenic stage. Earlier this stage had been powered by the Russian KVD-1M engine but now an Indian built cryogenic stage engine has replaced it.

The INSAT series has catered to India’s needs of broadcasting and communication. At present India has got a capacity of 200 transponders, which act as channels for video and audio data transmission. The ISRO has a very ambitious plan of increasing this capacity to 500 over the next five years. With this objective in mind, it will be working on the launch of the remaining satellites from the INSAT-4 series by 2010-11.

Incidentally, the satellite transponder market is a big global business today, since transponders are found to be in short supply. Apart from broadcasting, these transponders are used for trunking and networking applications. In India, the boom in the television sector has increased the demand for DTH broadcast services. The failure of INSAT-4C has limited the domestic broadcast capacity. Recently, the space agency borrowed the Ku-band for the Anil Ambani-promoted Reliance Blue Magic on Malaysia’s new satellite, Measat-3. Luckily, transponders are available on lease and Panamsat, Lockheed Martin’s LMI ABS and Singapore’s ST1 can be used with transmission services over the Indian region.

However, dependence on international players alone would not be a lasting solution because such facilities could be withdrawn by the vendor at any time of its choosing, and geopolitics could also come into play. The current domestic DTH scene in India is crowded. INSAT-4A and 4B caters for DD Direct, Zee’s Dish TV, Tata Sky and Sun Direct. There are reports that the Sunil Mittal-promoted DTH service, Bharti Telemedia, could be accommodated on INSAT-4CR.

Look also at the ground situation. India today has around 100 million television homes. DTH is expected to grab around 30 per cent of this cable/satellite TV business share. The ISRO’s marketing agency, Antrix Corporation Limited, depends on DTH for its transponder business. Its capacity to lease transponders alone accounts for nearly half of its Rs 650-crore revenue (for 2006-07). Each transponder earns roughly Rs 4 to 4.6 crore (around $1 million) during a satellite’s 10- to12-year lifespan. Following INSAT-4CR, the ISRO plans to launch INSAT-4D, an exclusive C-band communication satellite.

The ISRO is working on various fronts together. Apart from communication satellites its proposes to put a military-specific reconnaissance satellite, CARTOSAT-2A, into orbit shortly. The satellite is expected to give India the capability of monitoring missile launches in its neighbourhood. A moon mission is slated for next year. In 2008 it also proposes to launch a 100-kg ‘satellite bus’, because of brisk demand for the launching of nano-satellites.

Like the aviation industry boom, the space boom is also on the anvil in India.

The writer is a research fellow, IDSA