Context

This editorial is based on the news “What the success of Gaganyaan could mean for Indian science” which was published in the Indian Express. India revealed the names of the four Air Force officers selected for the Gaganyaan Mission, the country’s maiden attempt at sending humans into Space.

Gaganyaan Mission: India’s First-ever Human Space Flight Mission

• First Manned Spaceflight in 40 Years: Gaganyaan Mission to launch in the coming year, this mission would mark the first time in 40 years that Indian astronauts embark on a journey into space and the first ones to go on an Indian spacecraft. 
• Pioneering Nations in Manned Space Exploration: To date, only three nations – the United States, Russia, and China – have conducted manned space missions.

Why Does India Want to Have a Stake in Space Technologies?

• More than 600 people from ~50 countries have travelled to space.
• Executing a human spaceflight mission is still a novelty for countries.
• Rush in human spaceflight missions expected in coming decades.
• Ensure access to rights, resources, novel technologies.
• Gain expertise for early adoption of new space technologies.
• Build control over technologies critical for future economic growth.
• Space programs drive spin-off technologies (ex: MRI, heart implants)
• Sustain science & tech ecosystem to avoid future tech denial.

India’s Past Struggles with Technology Denial

• 1990s: US denied India cryogenic rocket technology, slowing space program
• 1998: Economic sanctions after nuclear tests, denied basic tech components
• COVID-19: Requests for PPE kits and medicines from abroad denied
  • All these factors drove the push for tech independence, domestic manufacturing in strategic sectors.

New Indian Science & Technology Initiatives

• Separate missions: Green hydrogen, quantum computing, artificial intelligence
• Joined major international projects: LIGO, Square Kilometre Array
• Rs 1 lakh crore fund for long-term R&D loans
• New scheme to promote deep-tech in defence.
• Push for domestic chip and semiconductor manufacturing.

Reception and Path Forward

• Need for Structural Reforms: Scientific community is generally welcoming of new initiatives. However, structural reforms still needed to significantly boost research.
• Sustained Engagement: It is required to address science education and research issues.
• Long Term Vision and Investment: Current human and capital resources may not be adequate. Becoming a tech powerhouse will require long-term vision and Investment.