The ISRO will also launch Astrosat, India's first dedicated satellite for astronomy by September this year.
“This is in its initial stages. There are multiple experiments which need to be completed. The first launch is in July and this will help improve cost effectiveness. It will reduce the cost by one-tenth. The launch vehicle will be landing first time in the ocean and the ultimate attempt is to make it land at an air-strip at Sriharikota,” ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar said.
“The satellite (of Astrosat) was delayed because one of the payloads had a component and there was an issue with respect to that. Now the satellite is fully integrated and the environmental test is fully in progress and it will be launched in September this year,” Kumar said.
“We have a working arrangement with the NASA. We are also in discussion with the CNES (French space agency). Recently we had a discussion with the UAE. It wants to have a Mars Mission for 2020. So they are interested in making use of the expertise available here," he said.
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