The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has opened up new opportunities for the Indian space agency, but delayed the development of semi-cryogenic rocket engines.
While it is said that a war between any of the world’s nations would benefit the American defense industry, perhaps for a change, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has benefited India to some extent.
For example, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has bagged a satellite launch contract worth over Rs 1,000 crore from UK-based Network Access Associated Limited (OneWeb).
Originally, the OneWeb satellites were supposed to be launched by a Russian rocket. Russia, however, refused to launch the OneWeb satellite as the latter did not comply with the earlier conditions.
ISRO’s commercial arm NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) has signed a deal with OneWeb worth over Rs 1,000 crore to launch 72 satellites in two phases, OneWeb chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said last October.
The first batch of 36 satellites was launched on October 23, 2022 from Sriharikota rocket port in Andhra Pradesh by LVM3 rocket formerly known as Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle MkIII (GSLV MkIII).
The second lot of 36-satellites is expected to be launched by ISRO’s rocket next month.
OneWeb officials told IANS that their relationship with ISRO is expected to continue as they launch next-generation satellites and replacement satellites that are in orbit.
“The successful launch of OneWeb satellite has made other satellite players look at ISRO,” S Somnath, Chairman, ISRO told IANS earlier.
However, the Russia-Ukraine conflict affected ISRO’s semi-cryogenic engine project. The semi-cryogenic engine payload was developed with the help of Ukraine, a senior ISRO official told IANS on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile ISRO decided to develop semi-cryogenic engines themselves. The engine is expected to be tested within a month.
For India’s manned space mission, Russia was expected to provide environmental life systems, an ISRO official said. However, the systems had to be redesigned for ISRO’s manned space mission rockets as Russia was flying only Soyuz spacecraft.
“We have developed a prototype and its testing is underway,” the ISRO official said.
India and Russia have signed an agreement for sourcing crew seats and crew suits for human space missions.
According to ISRO officials, these items have arrived and are being paid to Russia due to sanctions by Western countries.
India’s space programs were affected due to the Covid-induced global lockdown which in turn affected production and delayed imports of electronics/semiconductor chips from the US and Europe.
The Covid pandemic was soon followed by the Russia-Ukraine war affecting manufacturing and supply chains, ISRO officials said.
Electronics imported from the US and Europe are used in making rockets and satellites. For manufacturing space grade items, it requires a lead time of two years.
(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be contacted at [email protected])
— IANS
VJ/KSK/
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