The new Indian Space Policy, which was made public on Thursday, April 20, 2023, has said the Indian Space Research Organisation shall transition out from manufacturing operational space systems and focus its energies on research and development in advanced technologies.

The Indian Space Policy-2023, which was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security on April 6, also permits non-government entities (NGEs) to offer national and international space-based communication services, through self-owned, procured or leased geostationary orbit (GSO) and non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) satellite systems.

NGSO is a reference to low earth orbit or medium earth orbits that are home to satellites providing broadband internet services from space.

The policy also encourages NGEs to establish and operate ground facilities for space objects operations, such as telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) Earth Stations and Satellite Control Centres (SCCs).

It also allows NGEs to undertake end-to-end activities in the space sector through the establishment and operation of space objects, ground-based assets and related services such as communication, remote sensing and navigation.

It encouraged NGEs to use Indian orbital resources and/or non-Indian orbital resources to establish space objects for communication services over India and outside.

The policy encouraged NGEs to manufacture and operate space transportation systems, including launch vehicles, shuttles, as well as design and develop reusable, recoverable and reconfigurable technologies and systems for space transportation.

It also encouraged NGEs to engage in the commercial recovery of an asteroid resource or a space resource.

“Any NGE engaged in such a process shall be entitled to possess, own, transport, use, and sell any such asteroid resource or space resource obtained in accordance with applicable law, including the international obligations of India,” it said.

Industry leaders welcome policy

Industry leaders welcomed the policy and described it as a “futuristic” one that will position India and launch the Indian Space Sector in the 21st century.

“This policy provides the much needed clarity on all space activities especially regarding space communication and other Applications,” Lt Gen A K Bhatt, Director General Indian Space Association, told PTI.

He said the policy will be a catalyst for development of a robust innovative and globally competitive space ecosystem in India.

The policy also states that Indian consumers of space technology or services — such as communication, remote sensing, data services and launch services — whether from the public or the private sector, shall be free to directly procure them from any source.

The government unveiled space sector reforms in 2020 by opening it up for private participation and the new space policy, published on the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) website on Thursday, has been formulated as an overarching, composite and dynamic framework to implement the reform vision.

The policy states that ISRO, as the national space agency, will focus primarily on the research and development of new space technologies and applications and on expanding the human understanding of outer space.

To achieve this goal, the policy said ISRO shall carry out applied research and development of newer systems so as to maintain India’s edge in the sector in the areas of space infrastructure, space transportation, space applications, capacity building and human spaceflight.

It said the space agency shall transition out from the existing practice of being present in the manufacturing of operational space systems.

“Hereafter, mature systems shall be transferred to industries for commercial exploitation. ISRO shall focus on R&D in advanced technology, proving newer systems and realization of space objects for meeting national prerogatives,” the policy stated.

The policy stated that the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) shall function as an autonomous government organisation, mandated to promote, handhold, guide and authorise space activities in the country.

The policy made it clear that NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), as the public sector undertaking under the Department of Space, shall be responsible for commercialising space technologies and platforms created through public expenditure.

It also mandated NSIL to manufacture, lease or procure space components, technologies, platforms and other assets from the private or the public sector on sound commercial principles.

The policy also tasked NSIL to service the space-based needs of users, whether government entities or non-government entities, on sound commercial principles.

It said the Department of Space shall oversee the distribution of responsibilities outlined in this policy and ensure that the different stakeholders are suitably empowered to discharge their respective functions without overlapping into the others’ domains.

Source: The Hindu

The post Indian Space Policy: ISRO to focus on R&D appeared first on Policy Print.

On Thursday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released the final version (PDF) of its “Indian Space Policy 2023,” receiving approval from the country’s supreme decision-making body earlier this month.

The policy emphasizes the Indian government’s aim to “augment space capabilities” and brings “regulatory certainty” to the space sector reforms that were announced in 2020. It also sketches out the role and responsibilities of the newly formed Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe), which works with private players, including space tech startups in the country, to develop solutions and services for the space sector.

“IN-SPACe shall function as an autonomous government organization, mandated to promote, hand-hold, guide and authorize space activities in the country. For this purpose, IN-SPACe shall periodically issue guidelines and procedures, that would, among other things, promote ease of doing business,” the policy states.

In addition to private participants, IN-SPACe will collaborate with academia, as well as national and global industry players to boost space developments in the country. The policy also defines that the center should “issue guidelines for meeting safety and security requirements for space objects.”

The policy allows startups to “undertake end-to-end activities in space sector through establishment and operations of space objects, ground-based assets and related services, such as communication, remote sensing, navigation, etc.,” subject to the guidelines issued by IN-SPACe.

Separately, ISRO has defined its role to focus “primarily on research and development of new space technologies and applications, and for expanding the human understanding of outer space.” The space agency will enable “free and open” data access from its remote sensing satellites of ground sample distance of 5 meters and higher to private and public participants in the space sector. Additionally, it will make archived satellite data and satellite-derived thematic data from remote sensing satellites available on a “free and open” basis for research and development purposes.

The space agency will also transition from manufacturing operational space systems and will collaborate and partner with national and global industry and academia to focus on R&D in space science, technology and applications, per the framework.

Alongside ISRO, the framework defines the responsibilities of NewSpace India Limited and the Department of Space.

NewSpace India Limited is tasked with commercializing space technologies and managing the production, leasing, and procurement of space assets from both private and public players. Meanwhile, the Department of Space will lead implementation of the space policy and ensure that responsibilities are properly distributed among the different stakeholders.

Indian Space Association (ISpA) director general Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt said the policy provided much-needed clarity on all space activities and would help create opportunities for private players.

“It also clearly defines the role of IN-SPACe, as a single-window agency for the authorization of Space activities by government entities as well as NGEs (non-government entities). With this policy clarity, we are confident that IN-SPACe and DoT will work speedily to ensure necessary clearances for private players in India,” he added.

The association counts space tech startups, including Mayfield-backed AgniKul and Singapore’s SIG-invested Skyroot Aerospace, as members, as well as private companies such as Bharti Airtel and OneWeb.

Private participants, including startups in the country’s space sector, have also asked the government to introduce a foreign direct investment policy to help attract global investors. Details on that front are yet to be announced, though.

The new policy comes months after the government released its draft for consultations last year as a significant update to the initial set of rules released in 2017.

In the last few months, the Indian government has been working toward bolstering space activities in the country to make it an attractive market for customers around the globe.

Among other developments, the government’s recent data shared in the parliament shows that as many as 388 foreign satellites were launched by ISRO’s launch vehicles in the last eight years, including 37 until March. Microsoft also recently partnered with the space agency to work with local space tech startups.

Source: Tech Crunch

The post India releases space policy detailing public and private cooperation guidelines appeared first on Policy Print.