THE CONTEXT: The first mission flight, Gaganyaan, an unmanned test flight to check technology readiness, is expected by the end of 2024. The announcement was made at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thumba, Kerala after the ISRO had successfully tested the human readiness of the cryogenic engine that will be used on the Gaganyaan mission vehicles. This marks an important milestone in India’s space program.
MORE ON THE NEWS:
- The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)has signalled that, it expects to conduct two test flights of the human-rated Launch Vehicle Mark-3 rocket in 2024 and 2025 and the crewed launch in 2025.
- ISRO centres and their collaborators in industry and academia have worked to bring the mission’s various components together while also negotiating delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ISRO’s commercial commitments. Now, with the astronauts’ names in the open, India is truly in the last mile.
- Prime Minister announced four astronauts for Gaganyaan, India’s first crewed space mission. All four Indian Air Force officers have had extensive experience as test pilots and are currently in training for the mission.
- PM bestowed them with the prestigious astronaut wings, described them as “four forces” who represent the aspirations and optimism of 1.4 billion Indians.
GAGANYAAN MISSION:
- TheGaganyaan mission marks India’s ambitious endeavour to send humans into space. The Union Cabinet approved Gaganyaan in 2018 at a cost of ₹10,000 crore.
- It consists of an Orbital Module (OM) comprising a Crew Module (CM) and a Service Module (SM), the mission prioritizes human safety through state-of-the-art avionics systems and innovative engineering solutions.
- The CM, designed for human habitation in space, ensures a secure environment for astronauts during the mission, while the SM supports the CM’s functioning.
INDIAN SPACE POLICY 2023
- The Government of India unleashed reforms in space domain in 2020, opening the doors for enhanced participation of Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs) in carrying out end-to-end activities in the space domain and with an aim to provide them a level playing field.
- The Indian Space Policy 2023 approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security on April 6,2023 has thus been formulated as an overarching, composite and dynamic framework to implement the reform vision approved by the government.
Vision
The Indian space policy vision is to:
- enable, encourage and develop a flourishing commercial presence in space
- use space as a driver of technology development and derived benefits in allied areas
- pursue international relations
- create an ecosystem for effective implementation of space applications among all stakeholders
- nation’s socio-economic development and security
- protection of environment and lives
- pursuing peaceful exploration of outer space
- stimulation of public awareness and scientific quest.
Strategy of Indian space policy, 2023:
- Government seeks to pursue a holistic approach by encouraging and promoting greater private sector participation in the entire value chain of the Space Economy, including in the creation of space and ground-based assets.
Towards this end, the Government shall focus on:
- Encouraging advanced Research & Development in space sector to sustain and augment the space program.
- Providing public goods and services using space technology for national priorities.
- Creating a stable and predictable regulatory framework to provide a level playing field to Non-Government Entities in the Space sector through IN-SPACe.
- Promoting space-related education and innovation, including support to space-sector start-ups.
- Using space as a driver for overall technology development, nurture scientific temperament in the society, and increase awareness on space activities.
ISSUES FACED IN SPACE SECTOR:
- Technical Challenges: Despite significant strides made by the private sector inIndia’s space domain, there remains a substantial journey ahead, posing a formidable challenge in developing cutting-edge technology for space missions demands that require substantial investment.
- Financial Constraints: Balancing the costs of space exploration with other national priorities, such as healthcare and education, poses financial challenges. Also, maintaining sustained investment in space initiatives requires careful planning and support from the government.
- International Competition: India faces competition with established space powers like the US, Russia, and China, who have made significant strides in space exploration. Striking a balance between collaborating with international space agencies and competingon the global stage is crucial.
- Environmental Impact: Theenvironmental impact of space launches and operations needs to be managed responsibly as increased space activities contribute to space debris, which poses risks to both operational satellites and future space missions.
THE WAY FORWARD:
- Skill Development: Investing in space-related skill development programscan create a workforce with the knowledge and expertise needed for innovative space projects. Establishment of Space Technology Incubation Centers is a good step in this direction.
- Government-Industry Collaboration:Collaborative efforts between government agencies and private enterprises can leverage the strengths of both sectors to advance space exploration and technology.
- Promote Indigenous Technologies: Encouraging the development of homegrown technologies ensures self-reliance and reduces dependence on external sources for space hardware.
- Research and development: Indian Space Policy 2023 requires ISRO to “carry out applied research and development of newer systems so as to maintain India’s edge in human spaceflight and to develop a long-term roadmap for sustained human presence in space.
- Immune from political interference: For technological, research, and commercial missions ISRO has received sufficient support from the Centre. It would be naive to believe an undertaking of this scale can be completely free of political capture, but Gaganyaan cannot be altogether politically motivated either and should be immune from politics.
- Not focus on superpower status: Other countries, including China, may be technologically ahead, but India must keep the focus on scientific exploration and expanding human horizons, and not on achieving some ‘space superpower’ status. There should be a culture of space exploration that is truly democratic, rather than being motivated seemingly by geopolitical aspirations.
THE CONCLUSION:
Upcoming space missions such as Gaganyaan hold the potential to reshape our understanding of the space and enhance technological capabilities and solidify India’s position as a prominent player in the realm of space exploration. In this context, India should invest in space-related skill development programs to create a workforce with the knowledge and expertise for more innovative space projects.
UPSC PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS
Q.1 What is India’s plan to have its own space station and how will it benefit our space programme? (2019)
Q.2 Discuss India’s achievements in the field of Space Science and Technology. How the application of this technology helped India in its socio-economic development? (2016)
MAINS PRACTICE QUESTION
Q.1 As India is undoubtedly on a trajectory to become influential player in the global space community, scientific exploration not superpower status should drive India’s space programme. Comment.
Spread the Word