Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) Chairman Pawan Kumar Goenka with former ISRO chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar at the International Conference on Space 2023, in Bengaluru on September 14, 2023.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will facilitate transfer of technology (ToT) for the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) to one private company.

In July, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), which is the single-window nodal agency for boosting the space economy of India by promoting active participation of the private sector, had issued an Expression of Interest (EoI) for technology transfer of SSLV to Indian industries.

On September 14, IN-SPACe Chairman Pawan Goenka informed that 23 companies had applied for the ToT.

Speaking at International Conference on Space 2023 organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Mr. Goenka said, “With regard to SSLV’s ToT, we are transferring the launch vehicle lock, stock and barrel, as they say, completely into the hands of the private sector. It is, perhaps, the first-ever example where a space agency anywhere in the world has transferred a full design of a launch vehicle to the private sector. We had 23 companies applying for the ToT, but we will be able to give it to only one company.”

The last date for submission of proposal in response to the EOI is September 25. Screening and identifying the prospective bidders will take place on October 30.

SSLV is a 3-stage launch vehicle capable of launching approximately 500kg satellite in 500-km planar orbit. According to ISRO, the key features of SSLV are low cost, with low turn-around time, flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, launch-on-demand feasibility, and minimal launch infrastructure requirements.

Mr. Goenka said that in the last few weeks, the expectations from ISRO and the Indian space ecosystem on a whole have increased following the soft-landing of the Chandrayaan-3’s lander on the Moon.

“The last few weeks have been amazing, starting with the Chandrayaan-3 soft landing on the Moon, and Aditya L-1 launch, and the G-20 summit. With Chandrayaan-3, what we have achieved is extraordinary, which we have not seen in a long time and, in a sense, it has put in a lot more responsibility in the space sector. Now, the expectations from the Indian space sector are a lot more, not just from ISRO but from everyone in the space ecosystem,” Mr. Goenka said.

IN-SPACe is trying to create all-inclusive infrastructure for industries to facilitate manufacturing.

“We are trying to create plug-and-play infrastructure for industries. We are close to entering into a Memorandum of Understanding with one State and working with another State,” Mr. Goenka said.