14 missions in 2021: ISRO Chairman K Sivan says 'hands full this year'

BENGALURU: After the successful launch of PSLV-C51, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K Sivan has affirmed that the space organisation has its 'hands full' this year.

He was talking at the launch of Amazonia-1 of Brazil and 18 other satellites from the spaceport in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota, which is also the first mission of the year for ISRO.

Sivan said that India and ISRO feel proud to launch Brazil's Amazonia-1 satellite.

"In this mission, India and ISRO, feel extremely proud, honoured and happy to launch the first satellite designed, integrated and operated by Brazil. I congratulate the Brazilian team for this achievement. The satellite is in very good health and I congratulate all for this and compliment the entire Brazilian team," Sivan said after the launch event.

K Sivan said ISRO has 14 missions lined up for 2021 and as many as seven are launch vehicle missions and six are satellite missions. One is the unmanned Gaganyaan mission by the end of 2021.

He warned peers that the country was still not out of the pandemic and ensured that work at the organization will take place with all the COVID-19 SOPs in place.

​"The new normal instituted at ISRO centres are working well," he added. 

Five satellites, he said, came under the recently announced new space reforms -- wherein ISRO handheld these entities and ensured that satellites are built correctly and launched precisely. He hoped this would enthuse many others to build and launch their satellites with the space agency.