Antrix and Eads Astrium to market satellites globally

Mumbai: Antrix, the commercial arm of the Department of Space, and the €2.6 billion EADS Astrium of France today signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), to jointly address commercial markets for communications satellites with payload power below 4kw and a launch mass in the range of two to three tons. Satellites in this segment represent a sizeable and stable part of the world market.

The MoA was signed by KR Sridhara Murthi, executive director, Antrix Corporation Limited, and Antoine Bouvier, chairman, EADS Astrium. Dr G Madhavan Naïr, chairman, ISRO, was also present.

The aim of this co-operation is to optimise the INSAT 2K and 3K platforms along with EADS Astrium payloads. The Antrix-EADS Astrium alliance will have all the ingredients to be successful on this market, offering mature, flexible and cost effective solution to operators' requests.

ISRO has developed space technology with a wide rage of applications from telecommunication, TV broadcasting and meteorological services, to resources monitoring and management. ISRO has also developed the satellite launch vehicles PSLV and GSLV to place these satellites in orbit.

EADS Astrium is Europe's leading satellite system specialist. Its activities cover civil and military telecommunications and earth observation systems, science and navigation programmes, and all spacecraft avionics and equipment. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EADS Space, which provides civil and defence space systems.