Bangalore, Dec 11 : The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has set itself one more milestone to achieve, that of launching the ''W2M satellite'', a communication satellite developed by the agency, from French Guyana on December 20.

Built over a period of 26 months, this 3462-kilogram spacecraft is the heaviest developed by ISRO.

K. R. Sridhara Murthy, Managing Director, Antrix Corporation (ISRO''s commercial arm) said the communication satellite has been built for European EADS Astrium, a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), and is currently undergoing launch preparations.

"This is the essence of the alliance we have evolved with Europe. Under this framework, we have developed two contracts for customers. The first is ''W2M satellite'', which is a sophisticated communication satellite in the range of 3000 kilograms. This carries 32 Ku-band transponders for services in Europe and other parts of the globe. This satellite has already been built and is currently undergoing through the launch preparations. It is scheduled to be launched on December 20 by Orion Launch Vehicle," said K. R. Sridhara Murthy here last evening.

Murthy further added that ISRO''s capability to meet the best of the requirements demanded by the customers in the stipulated time period would definitely help the organisation to win more contracts in the future.

"We could meet all the exacting demands of our customers. We can deliver the product in time. We can do it successfully through an industrial organisation, which involved two entities of India and Europe. It is very good as we could exploit other opportunities," said Murthy.

Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has achieved a benchmarked success when the Chandrayaan-1 was successfully launched on October 22, by PSLV-C11.

This success has put India in an elite lunar club of which Russia, the USA, Japan, China and European Space Agency are the members.

India is also planning to launch satellite ''Aditya'' to study the sun by 2012.

India hopes to send an astronaut into space by 2012 and a manned mission to the moon by 2020. (ANI)