India's Space Capabilities: Planning a Quantum Jump

Till the end of 2020, the Antrix Corporation has earned foreign exchange of US dollars 100 million by promoting and marketing various products and services under India's space programme. India has been working on providing two types of services to the international consumers which include providing network services through 18 fully functional in-orbit satellites, having in excess of 250 transponders, operating at various frequencies, so as to provide critical data related to agriculture, geo-spatial profiling, monitoring forest cover, river course and river-bed research, and even lately has been used in urban planning.

One of critical areas that India has adopted with regard to better town planning and developing services for the larger population living in a particular region is in terms of looking into the population density, resource sustainability, and developing better urban infrastructure. Also, in terms of waste management and developing transport facilities within a particular town has been supplanted through utilization of spatial mapping. The satellite services earn a large amount of revenue from television broadcasting, Direct to Home (DTH) services, weather forecasting, digital satellite news gathering, and also tracking natural disasters such as typhoons and floods. It also provides telephone services, telecommunications and satellite navigational related services; it also provides very small aperture terminal monitoring. Antrix Corporation works as a commercial arm providing the services on demand with payment basis. Currently both PSLV and GSLV are the operational launch vehicles for this purpose. The launches are usually executed from Sriharikota, a facility in South India. PSLV has so far launched more than 35 successful flights and have positioned several satellites in geosynchronous transfer orbit and sub geo- synchronous transfer orbit missions. PSLV has also been used to launch India's Mars orbiter mission on September 24, 2014. GSLV has so far launched 11 missions.

One of the critical data providers has been the constellation of Indian remote sensing satellites such as CARTOSAT (Cartographic data satellites), OCEANSAT (helps in ocean navigation and support in case of failure of onboard systems of a ship or naval vessel), RESOURCESAT (helps in crude ore and minerals mining) and RISAT (primarily used to reconnaissance and data gathering). This constellation of satellites has been instrumental in providing data, and data processing techniques with system specific hardware and software. Not many people know that the improvement in the satellite infrastructure and the rocket launching capacities has been instrumental in helping India develop of its transcontinental missile launch (such as Agni missiles) capacities.

The clients of Antrix Corporation include countries and agencies from Europe, North America, Middle East and Southeast Asia, including agencies such as European Space Agency, NASA and many others. It also caters to global private companies such as World Space, Inmarsat (satellite telephony) and WorldSat. ISRO has also ventured into making of microsatellites with countries such as Singapore and Israel. In the case of Singapore, the development of micro (100 kg) and Nano satellites (10 kg) has been done with participation from technical institutes of both countries such as Nanyang Technical University and IITs in India. In the case of Israel, the development has been done with participation from the defence research organizations from both countries.

Initially, the ISRO was dependent on government financing but slowly its commercial arm Antrix Corporation started providing services such as transponder provisioning services, launch services, remote sensing services, developing on board subsystems and associated services. The initial success of ISRO has been primarily from the operational communication satellites which were known as INSAT satellite system which is one of the largest national satellite communication systems in the Indo-Pacific region. Antrix Corporation markets many of the services provided by the INSAT satellite systems. Further, the earth observation satellites such as CARTOSAT have been in use for data collection, and in applications such as provisioning for water resources, mineral exploration, rural development, environment, forestry, disaster relief and managing Ocean resources. Over a period of time with the launching of small satellites, the Antrix Corporation has built unique client base related to build operate and transfer of small satellites to its clients.

One important commercial aspect which has grown over a period of time has been in relation to the state of the art satellite monitoring stations located in various parts of Asia(such as in Vietnam, and Indonesia)and associated support systems. The annual rate of growth of the commercial arm has been nearly 17 per cent and the revenue generation has been primarily in the area of satellite launch services.

With the launch of the commercial provisioning of the satellite launching systems the government is trying to spur the growth in the sector through hundred percent international collaboration and joint venture with friendly agencies. The primary countries which India has been looking for with regard to its space collaboration programme include Russia which has been instrumental in sending the first Indian to space and also helping the astronauts in training and acclimatisation in the space environment. This support system has been instrumental in India’s launching of the Chandrayaan (Moon) mission as well as Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) which has placed itself into the league of space powers. It has been felt that India's approach for developing advanced technologies in the sector need financial support, and therefore it has been seen that those countries which are capable in terms of technology and are not adversarial to India's interests such as Israel, Japan, United States, European Union, and Singapore could be the possible players in this field.

India has been looking to further its presence in this following areas which includes satellite navigation, development of launch vehicles, developing necessary critical technologies for undertaking human space flight programme in future, remote sensing, planetary exploration initiatives, developing capacities and training in space science, develop sophisticated Earth observation systems and infrastructure, as well as exchange of scientists and technicians working in this field. With the support of Russia and its own initiatives, India is one of the few countries which have launched its own navigation satellite systems known as GAGAN (satellite based augmentation system) and Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) known as NAVIC respectively.

India has been looking for cooperation with SPACEX programme and developing reusable launch vehicles. There are a lot of possibilities related to participation of private companies under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programme to actively participate in building of launch vehicles and providing launch services. The space based services as well as satellite information services would open a big commercial market for India's space services programme to the international sector. India has also proposed to build up the national science space promotion and authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) an autonomous nodal agency to co-ordinate between public private partnerships and also address any disputes arising out of it. It is also proposed that with the coming of the private players in the sector, there will be issues related to sharing of commercial satellite timings and transponders .Therefore, there has been a proposal of Space Activities Bill, which would be instrumental in developing the satellite communications policy, as well as remote sensing and navigation policy.

The space sector is likely to get more competitive and also the slots in the geosynchronous orbit (few countries have the allocated quota but are unable to use it and so lease it to more technologically competent countries) would be highly price based and also would require building necessary infrastructure. This includes developing launch vehicles, designated launch pad and location for commercial utility, and supportive infrastructure to willing private players. It has been also proposed that there will be an integrated launch manifest which will demarcate areas between ISRO, Antrix Corporation and the new incoming private players. It has been further proposed that there should be telecom disputes settlement and appellate tribunal (TDSAT) to act as a dispute settlement mechanism.

The new body, which will be a public sector undertaking (PSU), is known as the New Space India’s limited(NSIL) and would be one point shop for all commercial services required by the foreign and domestic players. The In-SPACe would look into four different aspects related to safety and security, technical, legal as well as promotion and monitoring of the space sector. In this critical sector one of the important aspects is documentation, technical reviews and maintaining international safety as well as security standards. The issue has also found support among the international agencies which have been looking for flawless experience in utilising India space capabilities which are very cost efficient.

ISRO has established an online portal which can accept applications and thereafter it will be vetted for technical, safety and legal aspects. However, there are concerns related to the lack of oversight mechanism which must involve Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Defence, Department of Science and Technology, and Ministry of Home Affairs which need to have an oversight in space activities. In order to facilitate private sector participation there is need for maintaining deadlines and also penalty provisions if the services are not delivered within a particular time frame. The biggest problem is that the private players will have to undertake their own research and development activities, look into feasibility of projects, and generate customers and funding for their projects and services. 

ISRO is planning to launch a number of communication satellites to cater to the ever-expanding communication market especially when in-flight internet connectivity has been given a go ahead by the Government of India. This will also spur commercial activity in the ancillary industries related to the development of launch vehicles, insulation layering, digital communication systems onboard the satellite, and also the possibility of fabrication and launch of nano and micro satellites into the geosynchronous orbit. While the proposed Space Activities Bill is still in formative stages and need to be ratified by the cabinet but it will provide the framework under which the guidelines will be sorted out among the public and private sector enterprises.

Within India, the space sector has gained some leverage and recognition at the international level but owing to the fact that it would require funds to support its future programmes, particularly with regard to space exploration activities.Therefore it has been found that the sector should develop its own fund generating mechanisms so that these missions can be undertaken without any paucity of funds. Many countries have developed the unique financing mechanisms through sale of services and launch missions so that it can undertake high value missions in space.

India has also developed its space capabilities and its satellite network which can act as a first line of defence in terms of providing intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance of targeted areas. This network centric adaptability is required so that the complete ecosystem can be developed which can integrate the soldier with the drones, high altitude surveillance aircraft, and low geosynchronous orbit satellites.

This also had ramifications in terms of developing a QUAD architecture as the countries such as US and Japan have proposed to launch hundred low orbit satellites to look into the activities of China and North Korea, and also adapt their missile defence systems so that the launch activity can be easily detected and definite countermeasures can be launched. India has also developed its satellite systems so that it can act as a point of information to look into the ground activity of the adversarial countries. During the surgical strikes undertake in Uri and more specifically Balakot surgical air strikes, the services of many of these spy satellites have been used .

The military satellite network that India has developed over a period of time but despite so many satellites it still have to weather problems related to continuous surveillance of a particular target area therefore it has initiated necessary mechanisms and also so try to bring on board the other QUAD countries which have sufficient satellite capabilities. At times, India has utilised the data from Israeli spy satellites and also those of US to keep a watch on Pakistan and China border.

 In concluding remarks, one can say that India has developed these capacities to protect its sovereign borders, and also helped the maritime traffic and aviation sector through timely information. The telecommunication sector and television broadcasting has provided necessary revenue for a quantum jump in this sector. India has gained this stature through easy entry and training for its scientists and technicians, and have exposed them to international best practices, and also learning new technology through generous scholarships and in service training programmes. The eco –system which have been created in the last seventy years has been giving dividends. Form the government point of view the necessary structural support in terms of land allocation, retention of scientists and a promise to maintain minimum funding each year despite recession has been the benchmarks of the growth of India’s space capability and the projection of ISRO as a better and costs efficient enterprise. 

India has proposed to establish its aerospace command to look into the future warfare in space and also develop the defence systems which can intercept the space launch weapons. The Aerospace Command was conceived in the year 2000, and was meant to bring about a centralized agency to interlink radar, communications networks which can be utilized for intelligence gathering and coordinated response in case of space war or infringement of India’s aerospace. In 2010, integrated space cell was established. Most of the military satellites with the exception of few are now being controlled by the command. The Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat has provisioned of the Air Defence Command (ADC) to integrate both offensive and defensive capabilities under one umbrella.

In March 2019, India has tested its anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon capability, and has entered into the league of major space powers which have developed and tested such a capability. The urgency for India to develop such a weapon system was felt when China conducted its ASAT test in 2007 when it used missile, the Dong Neng-2 or DN-2 to shoot down its own satellite. It was suspected that China conducted another test through road mobile missile in May 2013. Sensing China’s rapid expansion in space warfare, in 2012 India proposed to integrate India’s anti-ballistic missile (ABM) defence programme to be improvised to work as the ASAT weapon. It has been speculated that Agni–V Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile has been developed with a dual use objective.

With advancement in space capabilities, India has developed competence in deploying satellites weighing more than two tons in the space orbit which can be weaponized in times of crisis. The DRDO along with Israel is developing orbital weapons which can stay in orbit as long as desired to be used for destroying enemy satellites. India also conducted table top exercises simulating the space war exercise which was known as ‘IndSpaceEx’ and institutionalization of tri-service Defence Space Agency (DSA), technically taking the giant leap forward. India has been looking at all possibilities related to electronic, kinetic physical, non-kinetic physical, and cyber weapons in space to develop its counter-space capabilities. India is also working on developing its C4ISR capabilities, and in this regard has stressed on establishment of Defence Imagery Processing and Analysis Centre (DIPAC), Delhi and the Defence Satellite Control Centre located in Bhopal. This space eco-system would bring together civilian scientists and military planners to work on feasible solutions and also address concerns related to adversarial capabilities of enemy nations.

Pic Courtesy-ISRO website

(The views expressed are personal.)