ISRO to launch Singapore’s 1st satellite in February

Singapore: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is expected to launch Singapore’s first satellite in orbit next month after a long delay and a four-fold cost overrun.

The launch of the satellite, dubbed X-Sat, has been delayed since 2007.

Experts estimated that the delay has raised the cost of satellite four-fold to more than 40 million Singaporean dollar from earlier estimates of 10 million, according to a report in The Straits Times today.

No reasons were given for the delay in the launch of X-Sat last month (December 2010) and it was not linked to the failure of ISRO’s Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle on Christmas Day.

The X-Sat would be ride on Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) which has made 17 launches since its maiden flight in 1993, and have successfully put 38 satellites into the space out of the 40.

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