ISRO places 5oo crore rupee order to Arianespace

• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has given an estimated 500 crore rupee order to Arianespace. It has also renewed the five-year contract with Europe's leading satellite system specialist - EADS Astrium - for joint marketing of satellites. This was announced by ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan in Bangalore today coinciding with the visit of French President Nilolas Sarkozy.
• He said commercial agreements have been signed with Arianespace for two more launches - GSAT-8 in 2011 and GSAT-10 in 2012.
• Radhakrishnan said the European launcher Arianespace has so far launched 12 Indian satellites.
• He said Megha-Tropiques and SARAL satellites, being jointly developed by ISRO and its French counterpart CNES, will be launched in May and December 2011. He said ISRO and CNES will continue to work together and explore new domains, including climate change and other frontier areas