Boeing and the state-owned Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are to collaborate on development and marketing of communication satellites. US undersecretary of commerce Kenneth Juster says the USA has granted a licence allowing Boeing Satellite Systems to negotiate a tie-up with ISRO.
Madhavan Nair, ISRO chairman, says the proposed satellites would be modelled on its Insat-series spacecraft, weigh up to 2t and carry around 20 transponders. Payloads supplied by Boeing would be installed in satellite buses manufactured by ISRO and assembled in Bangalore. With 2t-category commercial satellites costing around $55 million in the international market, ISRO believes there is a good potential for low-power satellites (below 3kW) and for some high-power (4.5kW) spacecraft.
SHYAM RAVINDRAN / DELHI
Source: Flight International