ISRO gets Sri Lanka's approval for SAARC satellite project

NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka has given its approval for SAARC satellite project, one of the mandatory requirements for ITU registration before the launch even as ISRO waits for nod from other countries.

"We are hopeful that we can launch the satellite by December next year. As of now Sri Lanka has given its approval for the project," ISRO chairman and Department of Space (DoS) Secretary Kiran Kumar said.

He was speaking at the 'Indian Economic Convention 2015- An Interactive Session on Space, Bio-technology and Indian Railways'.

Kumar added that approval of countries is required before ITU registration. This will also help India book a slot in the orbit where the satellite could be placed. It now requires approval from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.

India is building SAARC satellite, an ambitious project envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as a gift to its South Asian neighbours. In a meeting held here in June, almost all countries have given their nod for the initiative.

The ISRO chief also added that India will build an earth observatory ground station in Fiji and Vietnam. Talks are on, he said, with African countries, but did not name any possible nation where the earth observatory ground station could be built.