ISRO gearing up for next launch in November-December

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nearly a month after its unsuccessful attempt at placing a navigation satellite into space, the Indian Space Research Organisation ( ISRO) is gearing up for its next PSLV mission in November-December.

"We are planning the next PSLV launch in November- December," ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar told reporters on the sidelines of the 68th National Conference of Aeronautical Society of India here today.

On the failed PSLV-C39 mission in August, he said a committee was looking into it and "it is in the final stages of their findings".

"It will also stipulate the exact problem. We are waiting for it," the ISRO chief said.

Kumar asserted there was no problem with the launch vehicle.

"Only that particular separation of the heat shield was the problem," he said.

The ISRO chairman also maintained that there would not be any change in the control system of the launch vehicle.

The launch of ISRO's navigation satellite onboard its polar rocket had failed on August 31 following a technical glitch, just prior to its scheduled orbiting in space.

Earlier, at the conference titled 'Emerging Trends in Aerospace Technology', Kumar focused on the need to develop indigenous cost-effective aircraft as "major development is expected in regional transport aircraft sector".

Stating that the technology required for the same already exists, the ISRO chariman said the question was whether the country could built aircraft here itself and make them operational at an affordable cost.

"Though the nation has made great strides in aerospace, launch vehicle and missile technologies, it has not made much progress in passenger aircraft sector," he pointed out.

Reasons could be manifold and it is a complex issue, he said.

Obtaining certification of the system for usage is also a problem, Kumar said, adding "we need to take up this issue and resolve it."

President of Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI) and member of NITI Aayog, V K Saraswat, in his address said, "Growth in aerospace technology in the country has been rapid, but the same was changing at a fast pace".

However, he said the weaknesses lay in system design and wanted the scientists to harness the design capability.

The two-day ASET 2017 focuses on a broad spectrum of knowledge areas, including future of Indian planetary exploration, Indian space transportation systems, space applications, advances in materials and manufacturing, manned missions and aerospace medicines, future of combat air vehicles, advanced weapons, small satellite launch vehicles, energy systems, space law, maritime safety and project management.