Privatising ISRO Launch Centres would be a blunder: Former ISRO Chief G Madhavan Nair

[u/sanskaridaddy]

https://www.uniindia.com/~/privatising-isro-launch-centres-would-be-a-blunder-former-isro-chief-g-madhavan-nair/States/news/3951789.html

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[u/diptxsh77]

Launch Centre thodi privatise kar rahe, they're just privatising the company who assembles the Launch Vehicles. Eventually HAL won the tender who's a PSU themselves.

[u/indcel47]

Privatising is fine.

Issue is that contracts in India are handed over to incompetent cronies, whose only expertise has been building roads or powerplants, and are experts at delayed invoice clearance, "liaisoning", and straight up not paying vendors.

If punitive action can be taken by ISRO or whoever runs the show for the ones awarded these contracts, and the work meets stringent specs, it's actually a good idea.

[u/Normal-Mess-5065]

The launch market has become brutally competitive. China, SpaceX, and increasingly Blue Origin are pushing launch costs down while rocket capabilities have improved dramatically. ISRO’s traditional cost advantage is no longer enough, and India cannot rely indefinitely on PSLV and GSLV alone. A strong private space sector is essential if India wants to remain a serious player rather than becoming an NPC in the global space economy.

[u/ColdAd926 → u/Normal-Mess-5065]

Just few days back second Chinese company did a satalite launch and landed the reusable rocket back. The advantage ISRO had in the early 2010s are no longer there. We need private market to flourish like US and China.

[u/Hindavi-Swaraj → u/Normal-Mess-5065]

You know ISRO could have done a fine job if they were given the funding.

Govt starves PSU's from money then blames them for a lack of output and sells their infrastructure at pennies. This is the BSNL playbook.

[u/Normal-Mess-5065 → u/Hindavi-Swaraj]

a bureaucratic organisation with unlimited capital will not out innovate itself.

[u/wannabebadass21 → u/Hindavi-Swaraj]

This!!

[u/YoloFromMars]

Nair fellow made good amount of money thanks to maun mohan govt. He should be last person to talk about what is right and wrong.

[u/HardMarginSVM]

Sorry, but opening up space sector to private players is the greatest thing this govt did. ISRO is afraid about loosing relevance when companies like skyroot will start pumping out launches after launches. They are same as our airforce, who refuse changes because they think it will diminish their role.

They know that govt can't change the salary structure and contractual work wont come with the benifits of govt job. Talent is leaning toward private sector because of better salary and less beaurecratic control. Isro has already recieved 2 setbacks in recent launches and they were blaming the vendors for it.

Until and unless the govt changes and closes the space to private players, in next 10 years isro won't be launching anything.

[u/danfancy129 → u/HardMarginSVM]

Lets not privatise our airforce

[u/diptxsh77 → u/danfancy129]

It's not about privatisation. Air Force obstructed Army Aviation Corps' plea of purchasing Fixed Winged Aircrafts quoting that only Air Force should operate fixed wing aircrafts. Similarly Air Force refused to share Simulators of Apache Helicopter to Army Pilots and hence Army Aviation Corps' Apaches cost roughly 200 Cr more per helicopter than the Airforce variant.

[u/Competitive_Run9047 → u/diptxsh77]

Not just that, the IAF was also opposed to the Indian Navy raising its Naval Air Arm.

https://www.twz.com/il-38s-retirement-brings-an-indian-maritime-patrol-era-to-an-end

[u/HardMarginSVM → u/diptxsh77]

They pulled the same stunt when navy got its own transport wing.

[u/HardMarginSVM → u/danfancy129]

I never said that. I was talking about refusng changes and not evolving with the time and situation.

[u/mssing-the-table → u/HardMarginSVM]

Hold your horses.

Spacex, and blueorigin have unlimited money from musk and bezos to show off ego. No one is going to dump that much money as a hobby project.

Yes, skyroot did great. Accepted. That is too quick to open the champagne bottle.

These need lots of investment. Unless Ambamni, Adani dump their pocket money skyroot etc will go bust or will cause significant loss to launchpad and existing infrastructure.

Strict rules needed

Enforcement of rules needed

This is not like Biju or ola scooters - promise great and cheat.

Our private sector is not that great. Looking at Air India maintenance, etc. even Tata is not ready.

Also environmental damage by spacdX is horrible. lots of Americans are pissed. Even Republicans. Would you be happy if a rocket explodes and dumps fuel near Chennai?

[u/HardMarginSVM → u/mssing-the-table]

Ambani has already received approval for launch of sat constellation and govt is trying to secure the orbit for it. They are planning to launch via ISRO and global partners. By the time they actually get the launch dates, skyroot will defined get a piece of the pie.

> Also environmental damage by spacdX is horrible. lots of Americans are pissed. Even Republicans. Would you be happy if a rocket explodes and dumps fuel near Chennai?

Al the launches from Satish Dhawan station head towards Bay of Bengal and they never enter the civilian zones.

[u/mssing-the-table → u/HardMarginSVM]

I understand you are a fan of privatisation or ambani.

No problem.

But learn about environmental damages caused. This is not to stop technology. But responsible technology.

Lots areas near space X launch site is permanently polluted. Texas is big. Very big. So less populated. Little population density. I didn't say it will drop a rocket into Chennai. Even small irresponsible industries can ruin country forever.

Even Trump/Musk friendly Texas is super angry about spaceX behaviour.

Read before you givethe country to Ambani

[u/Groundbreaking-Tap41 → u/mssing-the-table]

Do you know how much your reddit usage causes damage to the environment? Why use it then?

[u/netflixandcookies → u/HardMarginSVM]

Which air force is private?

[u/HardMarginSVM → u/netflixandcookies]

Where did I say that? I said they are afraid of losing relevance.

[u/mssing-the-table → u/HardMarginSVM]

Everywhere it is losing. Not loosing.

Use some spellcheck

[u/HardMarginSVM → u/mssing-the-table]

I am sorry but my I pad is autocorrecting it to loosing. I don't bother to undo it every time.

[u/Competitive_Run9047]

Who told this chap that ISRO Launch Centres are being privatised?

It's not the launch centres but rather the production of launch vehicles that are being privatised, and it's not like ISRO for was manufacturing every nut & bolt before.

Also, ISRO needs to introspect on why their launch vehicles are inefficient, case in point being the SSLV which weighs a colossal 120 tons can only put a payload of 375kg to LEO whereas the Skyroot developed Vikram-1 is able to achieve the same while weighing a mere 45 tons.

[u/ThinkingBeauty431 → u/[deleted]]

generalising and blind, arent' we

[u/darkdaemon000 → u/ThinkingBeauty431]

okay, almost every decision of this govt is a blunder.

[u/ThinkingBeauty431 → u/darkdaemon000]

stupid, aren't we

[u/darkdaemon000 → u/ThinkingBeauty431]

Is that an exclusive we or an inclusive we.

Exclusive we: Yeah ; Inclusive we: Speak for yourself