Chennai: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has come out with an industry participation policy that will enable increased procurement of hardware and software systems and services from Indian industry for ISRO's future launches.

"The policy also envisages use of production facilities in industry as far as possible and avoid investment for such facility in house," says the latest edition of 'Space India', ISRO's official journal.

The policy commits ISRO to buy-back hardware components from industry on a long term basis, allow opportunities for use of ISRO facilities by industry and ISRO personnel to work in industry to take up research and development (R&D) activities.

The ISRO-industry association, which started at a modest level, has increased over the years especially in the industry-intensive launch vehicle area, the journal says, adding that today more than 500 industries - small, medium and large scale, either through procurement contracts, know-how transfers or provision of technical consultations - are associated with ISRO.

Stating that today a major portion of the Indian space budget flows into the industry, the journal says that so far 245 technologies developed under the Indian space programme have been transferred to industries for commercial exploitation.

"These include software programmes, satellite services, mechanical and hydraulic components, testing machine, surface coating machine and microwave components," states the journal.

Some of the technologies already licenced to industries by ISRO for commercialisation included slip rings, burst modulator, synchronous PC add on card, opto-electronic apparatus for static and dynamic measurements, personal computers (PC) based accessories for Synchronus data transmission, automatic tensile testing machine and L&C band quadrifiler helicalantenna.

The technologies in the pipeline for transfer to industries, included finite element analysis of structure software, solid film lubricants, thermal protection system, angular motion simulator, polyurethene foot, acramid dental prosthesis, software for production planning and control and electroless nickel plating.

In the 10th Five Year Plan alone, ISRO plans to undertake 20 satellite missions and 16 launch vehicle missions besides a substantial developmental initiatives like those required for advanced geocentric satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) versions (GSLV-Mk III), microwave remote sensing and scientific missions.

"This will certainly open up new vistas for the Indian industries to participate in the Indian space programme on a much larger scale, either on individual industry basis or through a consortia," says the journal.

PTI