ISRO to collaborate with private companies for rocket manufacturing

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a significant shift, ISRO announced plans to enlist the expertise of private companies for the complete manufacturing of rockets, with technology support provided by ISRO. Traditionally, only parts of the rockets were manufactured privately and assembled at VSSC for safety tests.

Private companies have been invited for a 14-year contract to build the LVM 3 rocket, with the first two years dedicated to technology transfer and manufacturing training. Subsequently, companies can continue building rockets for the following 12 years.

The LVM 3 rocket, ISRO's most powerful, has been crucial for missions like Chandrayaan 2 and Chandrayaan 3, capable of launching payloads of up to 4000 kg in geostationary orbit and 8000 kg in low earth orbit. ISRO is transitioning to the Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) for projects such as constructing the Indian space station and lunar missions.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 remains a dominant commercial launch vehicle, while other major players like China, Russia, Europe and Japan are advancing their rocket technologies.