NEW DELHI: Fourteen of the 58 space missions to be launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) as a part of 12th Five Year Plan, 2012-17 are linked to communications.

In addition to the fourteen satellites, five launch vehicles missions will also be linked to these satellites.

A Plan outlay of Rs. 397.5 billion in 12th Five Year Plan period has been provisionally earmarked under the Plan budget for space programmes. During the current year 2012-13, a sum of Rs 56.15 billion has been allocated and the amount spent up to the end of October 2012 was Rs.18.7153 billion. The Plan includes 33 satellite missions and 25 launch vehicles missions.

GSAT 10, GSAT 15, GSAT 16, GSAT 17, and GSAT 18 will specifically be communication satellites to augment the INSAT system with C and Ku band Transponders.

GSAT 9 will be a communication satellite to augment the INSAT system with C band Transponders.

GSAT 14 and GSAT 11S will be experimental communication satellites, while GSAT 6 and GSAT 6A will be multi-media mobile communication satellites for strategic applications.

GSAT 7 is a communication satellite for special users, and both GSAT 11 and GSAT Ka are advanced Ka band satellite for VSAT communications. GSAT 19E is a new generation experimental communication satellite.

The five launch vehicle missions are GSLV – D5 (Development flight with indigenous cryogenic stage for launching GSAT 14 satellite); GSLV D6 (for launching of GSAT 6 into Geosynchronous transfer orbit); GSLV F09 (for launching of GSAT 9 communication satellite); GSLV – F11 (for launching of GSAT-6A satellite); and GSLV Mk III D1 (first developmental flight of GSLV Mk III for launching GSAT-19E satellite).