ISRO to launch 75-tonne satellite on a 40-storey tall rocket: Chairman

New Delhi, Aug 19 The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to launch a 75-tonne satellite on a 40-storey tall rocket, said Chairman V Narayanan on Tuesday.

Narayanan said that India’s first rocket launcher was of 17 tonnes and could place a 35 kg payload in low Earth orbit.

"You know, what is the capacity of the rocket? The first launcher, (Dr APJ) Abdul Kalam ji, which he built, was a 17-tonne lift-off mass, capable of placing 35 kg in low earth orbit,” he said, while addressing the convocation ceremony at Osmania University in Hyderabad.

“Today, we are conceiving a rocket to place 75,000 kg in low Earth orbit. The rocket is of a 40-storey building height," he added.

Narayanan noted that the space agency has lined up with projects such as the NAVIC (Navigation with India Constellation system) satellite and the N1 rocket. In addition, it will place a 6,500 kg communication satellite of the US into orbit using Indian rockets.

Further, Narayanan said that ISRO has also planned to launch Technology Demonstration Satellite (TDS) and GSAT-7R, an Indian military communication satellite, specifically designed for the Indian Navy to replace the existing GSAT-7 (Rukmini) satellite, this year.

From the current 55 satellites in orbit, the number will surge three times in another three to four years, the expert said.

ISRO is also preparing for the launch of the Gaganyaan-1 test mission, likely in December.

Meanwhile, one of the Gaganyatris, Shubhanshu Shukla, has returned to India. His experience of piloting the Axiom-4 mission is set to be crucial for the Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission.

“This is just the first step in Bharat's journey of human spaceflight,” Shukla wrote in a post on social media platform X.

On Monday, the IAF Group Captain also met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the PM's official residence in New Delhi and apprised him about his mission to the International Space Station -- a first ever by an Indian.

Following the meeting, PM Modi took to X on Monday and posted, "Had a great interaction with Shubhanshu Shukla. We discussed a wide range of subjects, including his experiences in space, progress in science and technology, as well as India's ambitious Gaganyaan mission."

"India is proud of his feat," he added.

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