Topic: Evolution and Future of India's Space Programme

 

Syllabus Mapping

• GS Paper 3: Awareness in the fields of Space; Indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

• GS Paper 2: Government policies and interventions (Space Policy); International Relations (Space Diplomacy).

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Why in News?

India’s transition from a "participant" to a "global leader" in space, highlighting recent milestones like Chandrayaan-3 and outlining the Vision 2047 roadmap which includes a permanent space station and human lunar landing.

 

Key Highlights 

• Recent Milestones:

  • Chandrayaan-3 (2023): First nation to land on the lunar south pole; confirmed presence of water molecules (Chandrayaan-1) and mapped the moon (Chandrayaan-2) previously.

  • Aditya-L1: Providing unprecedented insights into the sun's corona and space weather.

  • SpaDeX (2024): Demonstrated in-orbit docking, a critical technology for building future space stations.

• Future Roadmap (Amrit Kaal Vision):

  • Gaganyaan: First indigenous human spaceflight targeted for 2027. Four Indian Air Force test pilots are currently training.

  • Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS): India aims to build its own space station by 2035.

  • Moon Landing: Target to land an Indian on the Moon by 2040.

• Socio-Economic Impact:

  • Space tech is now a "democratic utility," aiding in disaster warnings, crop yield assessment (PM Gati Shakti), and railway safety.

  • Economy: India's space economy is valued at $8 billion and projected to grow to $44 billion by 2033.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Critical Analysis 

• Strategic Shift: India is moving from "soft power" (South Asia Satellite) to "hard strategic power" (Human Spaceflight, Space Station). This counters the growing dominance of China’s Tiangong station in the region.

• Democratization via Startups: The opening of the sector has led to 350+ startups building satellites and launch vehicles. This reduces reliance on ISRO for routine activities, allowing ISRO to focus on R&D.

• International Collaboration: Projects like NISAR (with NASA), TRISHNA (with France), and LUPEX (with Japan) signify that India is now an equal partner in high-tech global missions rather than just a beneficiary.

 

Value Addition

• Institutional Framework: To facilitate the "private participation" mentioned in the article, the government launched the Indian Space Policy 2023. It created IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) as a single-window regulator to authorize private space activities.

• FDI Reform: In 2024, the government amended the FDI policy to allow 100% FDI in the space sector (up to 74% under automatic route for satellite manufacturing), further boosting the $44 billion economy goal.

 

Mains Question

Q. "India's space programme has evolved from a scientific endeavor to a 'democratic utility' and a strategic economic asset." Discuss this statement in light of the Indian Space Policy 2023 and the Vision 2047 roadmap. (250 words)

 

Preliminary Question

Q. Consider the following statements regarding India's upcoming international space collaborations:

1. TRISHNA is a joint mission with NASA for high-resolution natural resource assessment.

2. LUPEX is a collaboration with JAXA (Japan) to explore the Lunar Polar region.

3. Proba-3 involves India's participation with the European Space Agency (ESA) to demonstrate formation flying.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(A) 1 and 2 only

(B) 2 and 3 only

(C) 1 and 3 only

(D) 1, 2 and 3

 

Answer: (B)

• Explanation:

  • Statement 1 is incorrect: TRISHNA (Thermal infraRed Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural resource Assessment) is a joint mission with CNES (France), not NASA. The joint mission with NASA is NISAR.

  • Statement 2 is correct: LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration) is with Japan.

  • Statement 3 is correct: Proba-3 is with ESA.