India’s offer to privatise rocket has 20 potential bidders
India’s offer to privatise rocket has 20 potential bidders
New Delhi: The Indian government’s effort to privatise part of its space programme by opening bids to build its small satellite launch rocket has attracted initial interest from 20 companies, an official overseeing the process told media.
India’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) was developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation, the national space agency, and had its first successful satellite launch in February.
The SSLV was designed as a low-cost means to launch satellites weighing up to 500 kg into low-earth orbit, serving a booming market to launch clusters of satellites for communications and data that SpaceX and rivals now serve.
Under a policy driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is following Nasa’s lead in opening launch and other space businesses to private investment.
The bid to take over the manufacturing and development of the SSLV rocket programme was the first privatisation of its kind under that policy.
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