* Astronomy

The Indian Space Research Organization has put "on hold" plans to jointly develop and market two-ton class communication satellites with Boeing Satellite Systems following a change in business plans of the American firm, ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair said today.

"They (Boeing) are not doing small satellite business anymore. They have changed their business plans. So, it (ISRO-Boeing initiative) is not going forward at this moment. We have explored the possibility. But they have recast their business plans. At the moment, it's on a hold mode" - ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair.

ISRO was exploring the possibility of developing satellites with the American aviation giant after the U.S. government approved a license last year, authorizing Boeing to discuss and share data with the Indian space agency to develop and market communication satellites.

A couple of months back ISRO had said that a Memorandum of Understanding with Boeing is on the anvil. Boeing had initially planned to install payload in satellite buses developed and assembled by the Bangalore based space agency.

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