More than 10 consortia evinced interest in SSLV: ISRO

New Delhi: More than 10 companies and consortia have evinced interest in manufacturing the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), with a few being shortlisted as potential bidders for the transfer of technology, ISRO chairman S Somanath said on Tuesday on the sidelines of an event organised by the AICTE and Indian Space Association.

He said the selected industry partner will first develop two SSLVs with assistance from ISRO over a two year period before venturing out on its own to build rockets to place small satellites in low earth orbits.

Somanath said IN-SPACe had organised a one-day interaction with industry players to understand issues that they may have related to technology transfer and how to do it, and expectations from ISRO for them.

He mentioned that a few companies or consortia have obtained the Request for Proposals (RFP) documents for the transfer of technology related to the SSLV. The selected company or consortium will be allowed to build the rocket at ISRO facilities until they establish their own manufacturing campus for producing the launch vehicles.After the third development flight of the SSLV on August 16, Somanath announced that the rocket was ready to be transferred to the industry for mass production.