ISRO planning to launch record 68 satellites in one mission by next year
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning for the launch of a record 68 satellites on a single mission by early next year after their successful launch of 20 satellites in a single mission in June this year.
"There are many launches. There is one particular launch we are planning, about 68 satellites, that is yet to be finalised," Antrix CMD Rakesh Sasibhushan told reporters in response to a question on the line up.
Antrix is the commercial arm of ISRO. According to officials, if everything goes well, the launch may take place in another six to seven months and ‘the satellites will be nano in nature from foreign countries.’
Setting a record in its space programme, ISRO in June had successfully launched 20 satellites, including its earth observation Cartosat-2 series, in a single mission on board ISRO's workhorse PSLV-C34 from the spaceport in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
The space agency had earlier sent 10 satellites into orbit in a single mission in 2008. On concerns by certain sections in the US about ISRO launches as it is being subsidised by the government, Rakesh said "our competitiveness will give answer for this."
