India is to increase the budget of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) by $100 million for fiscal year 1998-9. The rise is part of a wider science budget increase of 31% for the period.
The space agency's new budget of $385 million will include spending on a new generation of Insat 3 national communications satellites, a launch pad at Shriharikota for the Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle and continued development of a new booster, which will be used to launch the Insat 3 fleet.
ISRO will launch over 15 satellites on indigenous launch vehicles up to 2003 and plans to improve its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.
Source: Flight International