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DATE=5/7/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-249077
TITLE=INDIA/SATELLITE (L-O)
BYLINE=ANJANA PASRICHA
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  INDIA WILL LAUNCH SATELLITES LATER THIS MONTH ON A 
COMMERCIAL BASIS.  ANJANA PASRICHA REPORTS FROM NEW DELHI, THIS 
IS BEING DESCRIBED AS A MILESTONE FOR INDIA'S SPACE PROGRAM AS IT
SIGNALS THE COUNTRY'S ENTRY INTO THE LUCRATIVE GLOBAL SPACE 
MARKET.
TEXT: AT THE STATE-OWNED INDIAN SPACE RESEARCH ORGANIZATION, 
PREPARATIONS ARE ON TO LAUNCH THREE SATELLITES INTO ORBIT FROM A 
SINGLE ROCKET LATER THIS MONTH. 
TWO OF THE THREE SATELLITES INDIA WILL SEND INTO SPACE BELONG TO 
GERMANY AND SOUTH KOREA. THE THIRD IS AN INDIAN SATELLITE. 
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME INDIA IS LAUNCHING SATELLITES ON A 
COMMERCIAL BASIS. THE ROCKET THAT WILL LAUNCH THE SATELLITES HAS 
BEEN BUILT BY INDIAN SCIENTISTS. 
SPOKESMAN FOR INDIA'S SPACE ORGANIZATION, G. KRISHNAMURTHY, 
DESCRIBES THE EVENT AS A SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT STEP TOWARD 
DEVELOPING THE COUNTRY'S SPACE INDUSTRY. 
                 ///INSERT KRISHNAMURTHY ACT/// 
         TOGETHER ALL THE THREE SATELLITES ARE GOING TO BE PUT 
         INTO 720 KILOMETER ORBIT. IT IS A MILESTONE BECAUSE FOR 
         THE FIRST TIME WE ARE LAUNCHING MULTIPLE SATELLITES IN A
         SINGLE LAUNCH. SO FAR WE USED TO LAUNCH ONLY ONE 
         SATELLITE AT A TIME. IT IS ALSO FOR THE FIRST TIME WE 
         ARE LAUNCHING THESE TWO SATELLITES ON A COMMERCIAL 
         BASIS. VERY SIGNIFICANT -- FOR THE FIRST TIME A MULTIPLE
         LAUNCH, OUR OWN LAUNCH VEHICLE, PLUS TWO COMMERCIAL 
         LAUNCHES, THOUGH ON A SMALL SCALE.
                   ///END KRISHNAMURTHY ACT///
INDIAN SPACE SCIENTISTS SAY THE LAUNCH OF THESE SATELLITES WILL 
PUSH INDIA INTO AN EXCLUSIVE CLUB OF WESTERN NATIONS, ALONG WITH 
RUSSIA AND CHINA, THAT EARN BILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM THE 
LUCRATIVE GLOBAL SATELLITE LAUNCH MARKET. 
EXPERTS SAY INDIA PLANS TO OFFER COST EFFECTIVE SERVICES AT 
CHEAPER RATES THAN THOSE CHARGED BY DEVELOPED COUNTRIES. 
FOR DECADES, INDIA'S SPACE PROGRAM HAS FOCUSED ON PROVIDING 
SERVICES SUCH AS TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND WEATHER FORECASTING. BUT 
A FEW YEARS AGO, INDIA BEGAN TO EXAMINE HOW TO EXPLOIT THE 
BUSINESS POTENTIAL OF THE COUNTRY'S SPACE PROGRAM. 
THE SPACE AGENCY TOOK THE FIRST STEP IN THIS DIRECTION LAST 
MONTH, WHEN IT LEASED SERVICES ON ITS LATEST COMMUNICATIONS 
SATELLITE TO THE U.S. BASED CONSORTIUM, INTELSAT, FOR AN ANNUAL 
FEE OF 10 MILLION DOLLARS. (SIGNED)
NEB/AP/LTD/KL
07-May-99 8:06 AM EDT (1206 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.