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For decades, Europe’s Ariane rockets were the epitome of reliability and precision in space launch services. India, too, relied heavily on Ariane to send its satellites into orbit.
The Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment (APPLE), Isro’s first indigenous experimental communication satellite, was launched by the third development flight of ESA’s Ariane vehicle from Kourou on June 19, 1981.
However, in time the tables have turned and at present, ESA does not have any active launch vehicle to carry its payloads to orbit.
Isro’s GSATs and INSATs satellites were frequent passengers of ArianeSpace launch vehicles.
Isro’s LVM3 cannot place anything heavier than 4,000 kg in GTO, which necessitated India’s recent GSAT N2 mission (weighing 4,700 kg) to hitch a ride on SpaceX’s Falcon 9, possibly because Ariane 5 has retired and Ariane 6 is still not ready.
ESA’s family of launchers includes Ariane-6 and Vega-C, along with a dedicated launch site developed to support Soyuz launches from their spaceport in French Guiana. Ariane 6 is being developed to succeed the highly reliable Ariane 5, which completed its 27-year mission with 112 successful launches. Ariane 6 has two variants: Ariane 6-2 (10,350 kg in LEO) and Ariane 6-4 (21,650 kg in LEO).
But Ariane 6 and Vega-C are still in development, with just one and two flights, respectively. This means ESA does not have a fully operational launch vehicle of its own and is currently reliant on other providers, such as SpaceX, ULA, Isro, and Soyuz, to launch its space missions.
Still, the question remains: Why is ESA leaning on Isro’s PSLV for Proba-3?
This decision is driven by a combination of factors, including India’s active space diplomacy, its evolving space policy emphasising international partnerships, and Isro’s proven track record of delivering reliable and cost-effective launch services.
At the recently concluded third Indian Space Conclave, the EU Ambassador to India and Bhutan, Herve Delphin, emphasised the significance of the Indo-European partnership in space, describing India as a “cost-effective, dynamic space power of the first order.”
In 2021, ESA and Isro agreed on future cooperation and discussed spaceflight collaboration. This agreement stipulated that ESA would support Isro’s human spaceflight, lunar exploration, and solar research missions.
During Aditya’s journey toward the L1 point, ESA offered its ground stations for continuous tracking and also helped validate Isro’s newly developed orbital and flight dynamics software. Currently, India’s Gaganyaan astronauts are being trained at ESA training centers.
To capitalise on the burgeoning commercial space market, the Government of India established NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) in 2019.
This strategic move, facilitated by India’s revised space policy, has empowered NSIL to secure substantial commercial launch contracts, solidifying India’s position as a reliable and cost-effective space launch provider.
The launch of ESA’s Proba-3 mission is a contract between NSIL and ESA. NSIL successfully executed contracts with OneWeb to launch two batches of 36 satellites each into low Earth orbit in 2022 and 2023 for their satellite internet constellation.
Isro’s PSLV is renowned for its reliability in launching lighter payloads.
With a success rate of over 97% from 60 launches, the PSLV has proven its mettle, experiencing only two failures: the initial developmental flight in 1993 and the IRNSS mission in 2017.
Categorised as a medium-lift launch vehicle, the PSLV competes with other vehicles like ULA’s Atlas V, SpaceX’s Falcon 9, Russia’s Soyuz 2, China’s Long March 4, and South Korea’s Nuri.
While SpaceX offers competitive pricing, the cost-effectiveness of the PSLV for smaller satellites like PROBA-3, combined with the established partnership with ISRO, made it a more attractive option for ESA
In the realm of medium-lift launch vehicles, ULA’s reliable Atlas V recently retired after a storied career of 100 successful missions.
Its remaining commitments will be fulfilled by the Vulcan Centaur, a vehicle still in its certification phase with only a handful of launches under its belt.
While Russia’s Soyuz 2 and SpaceX’s Falcon 9 offer significantly lower cost-per-kilogram rates, their massive payload capacities — 8,600 kg (LEO) and 17,500 kg (LEO, reusable) respectively — make them less economical for smaller satellites that cannot secure ride-sharing opportunities.
China’s Long March series, though powerful, is often overlooked by international partners due to geopolitical considerations.
Isro’s PSLV, on the other hand, emerges as a compelling option for lighter payloads. With a proven track record and a competitive cost-per-launch ranging from $18 million to $28 million, the PSLV provides a reliable and cost-effective solution.
This makes it an ideal choice for missions like ESA’s Proba-3, which require a dedicated launch without the need for a ride-share.
As the global space industry continues to evolve, India’s strategic partnerships with international space agencies, coupled with its robust domestic launch capabilities, position it as a key player in the future of space exploration.
With Isro’s proven track record and NSIL’s commercial acumen, India is well-equipped to capitalise on the growing demand for reliable and cost-effective launch services.
(This is an authored article by Manish Purohit. Manish is a solar energy and spacecraft solar panel expert with extensive experience in managing critical space missions, including Chandrayaan-2 and Mangalyaan)
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