<div>Indian Space Research Organisation is close to signing contracts for launching three foreign satellites on board its home-built Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from Sriharikota spaceport in south India.<br /><br />ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan said Antrix Corporation, the space agency's marketing arm, is in advanced dialogue for three launch services contracts.<br /><br />"There are very serious discussions taking place for both dedicated launches and for the co-passenger missions. At least three I am aware of where people are seriously interested and discussions are taking place", Radhakrishnan, also Secretary in the Department of Space and Chairman of Space Commission, said.<br /><br />"They are expecting us to indicate whether we can do (the launches). So they want us to do it. When exactly they want it", he said.<br /><br />Radhakrishnan also said Bangalore-headquartered ISRO would establish a Research and Development (R&D) complex in Karnataka's Chitradurga district.<br /><br />"There (in Chitradurga) we are having about 540 acres of land. We are developing it into a complex for taking up R&D for the future", he said.<br /><br />Noting that the proposed complex is going to be a "major asset", Radhakrishnan said ISRO is looking at the next few decades with this initiative. "The new generation has to look at what all they have to do".<br /><br />He termed NASA's Mars mission as a "fantastic achievement" and an "engineering marvel".</div>
