India aims to achieve ambitious space goals over the next two decades, focusing on reusable rockets like the ISRO’s Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV). To ensure strategic autonomy in space, India must also involve its private sector in developing more such rockets.
Milestones in India’s Space Development
- First Sounding Rocket: On 21 November 1963 the first sounding rocket (a U.S.-made Nike-Apache rocket) lifted off from Thumba, near Thiruvananthapuram.
| Sounding rockets are one or two stage solid propellant rockets used for probing the upper atmospheric regions and for space research. |
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- Aryabhatta Satellite: On 19 April 1975, India launched its first satellite, Aryabhatta, named after the famous Indian astronomer. It was fully designed and built in India and launched by a Soviet Kosmos-3M rocket from Kapustin Yar.
- Rohini Satellite: On 18 July 1980, India successfully launched SLV-3 from Sriharikota Range (SHAR), placing the Rohini satellite (RS-1) into orbit.
- SLV-3 Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV-3) was India’s first experimental satellite launch vehicle.
- ISRO’s Evolution and Ambitious Plans: Initially focused on achieving self-reliance, ISRO has made remarkable progress in developing technologies for space exploration.
- Today, the organization is focused on expanding its space capabilities, including the Gaganyaan mission to send humans to space and further plans for a space station and lunar exploration by end of the next decade.
Roadmap for India’s Space Future
- India’s space program is building towards more ambitious goals, which include:
- Uncrewed Lunar Missions: Several uncrewed missions to the moon will be conducted to perfect the necessary technologies.
- Human-Centric Technologies: Mastery of human-centric technologies for safe and sustainable space travel is critical for long-duration missions, including to the moon.
- Powerful New Rockets: New rockets with heavier payload capacity are needed to support human missions and other advanced space endeavors.
NGLV: India’s Next Generation Launch Vehicle
A major step in fulfilling India’s space ambitions is the development of the NGLV, recently approved by the Union Cabinet.
- Heavy Lift Capability: It will triple the payload capacity of ISRO’s most powerful rocket, the LVM3 (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk III).
- This increase in payload capacity will ease restrictions on weight and volume, allowing for more complex and larger missions.
- Reusability: A major part of the NGLV will be reusable, a significant shift from ISRO’s current expendable rockets.
- Reusability will allow for controlled descent back to Earth, reducing costs but lowering payload capacity. This trade-off is necessary to make rockets financially viable in the long term.
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| For the first time, NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched GSAT-20 (renamed as GSAT-N2), a communication satellite on SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket. The satellite weighed 4,700 kg. |
Global Competition
- SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy: The Falcon 9 rocket, with a capacity of 5,500 kg to the Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) in reusable form, outperforms ISRO’s LVM3, which can carry only 4,000 kg to the GTO.
- A more powerful expendable Falcon 9 can carry 8,300 kg, while the Falcon Heavy and SpaceX’s Starship rockets have even greater capabilities.
- Starship’s Advancement: SpaceX’s Starship, which completed its sixth test flight recently, is already far ahead in terms of capacity and reusability.
- With the ability to carry over 21,000 kg to GTO and 100,000 kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Starship is pushing the boundaries of what reusable rockets can achieve.
- Other Competitors: Blue Origin, American aerospace company, China National Space Administration (CNSA), etc are also working on reusable rockets.
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Way Forward
- Public-Private Collaboration: By offering contracts to Indian private companies to develop reusable, heavy-lift rockets, the Department of Space can leverage private sector innovation.
- Foreign Collaboration: Indian companies can collaborate with international partners, such as foreign rocket engine manufacturers, to overcome gaps in expertise and technology.
- Milestone-Based Funding: A funding mechanism where private firms receive payments based on meeting key milestones could ensure accountability and reduce cost overruns.
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Conclusion
By building a robust space ecosystem and addressing challenges head-on, India can ensure its continued leadership in space exploration for decades to come.
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