ISRO plans to design and build Reusable Rocket for Global Market

Department of Space Secretary and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S Somanath said that India is reportedly planning to design and build a new reusable rocket for the global market. The reusable rocket is expected to reduce the cost of launching satellites.

Somanath reportedly said that ISRO would have to reduce it to $5,000 (roughly Rs. 3,98,000) or even $1,000 (roughly Rs. 79,700) per kilogram and that the only way to do so would be to make the rocket reusable. He added that the country doesn’t yet have reusable technology in the launch vehicles sector.

At present, it costs ISRO between Rs. 7,97,800 and Rs. 11,96,800 to put a one-kilogram payload into orbit. “I would like to see this (proposal) taking shape in the next few months,” he said. He added that the development of post-conscious and production-friendly rocket must happen in the next few years so that the space agency can retire all those operating launch vehicles (in India) at the appropriate time.

ISRO has been working on various technologies including the Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (IAD). By combining these new technologies, the space agency would like to join hands with industry, startups and its commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) to build a new usable rocket.