India’s First Private Rocket Signals a Foray Into a Field Dominated by Governments

Why in News?

• India's first privately developed rocket, named as Vikram-S was recently launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from its spaceport in Sriharikota.
• This launch marked the beginning of private launch activity in Indian space program, which had previously been government-controlled and funded.
• It is also a significant step forward for India, which aspires to be a leading space power.

 

About the recent developments

• Mission Prarambh: It is a mission in which ISRO will launch Vikram-S, India's first privately manufactured launch vehicle developed by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace.
• About Vikram-S: It is a single-stage, solid fuelled, suborbital rocket, named after Vikram Sarabhai, the father of the India’s space programme.
  • In a sub-orbital flight, the vehicle travels slower than the orbital velocity, which means it is fast enough to reach outer space, but not fast enough to stay in an orbit around the Earth.
  • The launch vehicle’s engine, Kalam-80, is named after former President A P J Abdul Kalam.
  • It will carry 3 customer payloads (2 Indian and 1 foreign), including one by SpaceKidz India called FunSat, parts of which were developed by school students.
  • The Vikram-S is a Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), which will carry between 290 kg and 560 kg payloads into sun-synchronous polar orbits. India’s workhorse PSLV can carry up to 1,750 kg to such an orbit.
  • It is developed over two years by incorporating advanced technologies including carbon composite structures and 3D-printed components.
  • It reached a peak altitude of 89.5km higher than the targeted altitude of 80km in a six-minute mission with three payloads weighing a total of 83kg.
• About Skyroot Aerospace: It is based in Hyderabad and founded by former engineers in ISRO. It was the first company to sign an agreement with the country's space program to launch rockets.
  • Skyroot is also preparing to launch at least two rockets a month by the end of 2025 while also developing reusable booster stages for its ‘Vikram’ series of rockets.
  • Reusable booster stage of a rocket is the engine that helps it achieve ‘escape velocity’, following which the booster detaches from the main rocket, re-enters Earth, and uses small motors to land.
  • The engine or the booster, thus can be reused for future missions, saving costs for a rocket launch services firm. Elon Musk’s SpaceX is the only firm to have managed this feat.
• IN-SPACE: The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACE) has been operating as a single-window, autonomous nodal agency of Department of Space (DOS) to boost the private space sector economy in India.

 

Significance of the launch

• Boost global image: It will give global investors and clients confidence in India’s space sector, since only a handful of companies globally have managed to cross 80km into space, that too in the first attempt.
• Technology-demonstration: The Vikram-S, Kalam-80 and 3D printed parts (thrusters) will be used to test and certify technology in the Vikram series space launch vehicles.
• Boost to PPP model: The public-private partnership model in space sector could see ISRO license specific missions for homegrown space firms to conduct. The model would be similar to the US where NASA regularly sanctions projects to private space firms.
• Will motivate future private sector missions: For example, Agnikul Cosmos, whose semi-cryogenic Agnilet engine was test-fired recently at ISRO’s vertical testing facility at Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram, will get a push from the success of Vikram-S.

 

Importance of private industry in space

• Augment demand: The annual budget of ISRO has surpassed Rs 10,000 crores and is increasing. However, India’s need for space-based services significantly exceeds what ISRO can supply. Hence private investments can fill this gap.
• Capture global market: It is high on the agenda of the government to rapidly increase India’s share in the global commercial space sector to 8 % in the coming years from present 2 %. It can only be done by drawing in the private sector companies to play a larger role.
• Will bring in physical-financial-human resources: ISRO has limited pool of resources like land, labour and capital etc. The private sector participation will create a fresh reservoir of resources and talent.
  • The private sector participation may capitalise on the nation’s talent (demographic dividend), significantly enhancing India’s space endeavours.
  • It will also bring additional funds and experience into space exploration initiatives.
• Share cost factor risk: Each launch has numerous risks associated with it. The private sector can share it and the failure expenses could be allocated.
• Innovation: The commercialisation of innovations by private sector will result in the development of superior technologies that are crucial.
  • It will enable incorporation of numerous additional technologies, such as artificial intelligence, into space exploration efforts.
  • With the knowledge gained through space activities, the private sector can expand the use of technology in other fields.
• Cost-effectiveness: India creates a cost-effective model by duplicating and adapting existing technology. This can be furthered by critical innovations by the private sector.
• Collaboration: ISRO has a close relationship with the industry, especially with Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and private sector such as Godrej & Boyce, Larsen & Toubro, etc., which can be further boosted by roping in more private firms.
  • For example, the large number of private companies like Boeing, Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, Airbus and Space X were involved in the US Artemis project of returning to the Moon recently.
• Creating alternative assets: India can categorize numerous satellites and spacecraft assets between ISRO and industry so that continuity is maintained even if an attack disables one or more of our satellites.
  • For instance, the United States though vulnerable in space due to its reliance on thousands of satellites, it is also best able to deal with a potential attack on its space assets due to its ability to transition to alternative assets.

 

Concerns of Private participation

• National security: ISRO’s sensitive data in the hands of the private sector poses a risk of data exploitation or misapplication and may raise security concerns.
  • It may also result in the profit-motivated disclosure of sensitive material by private parties to foreign governments and corporations.
• Cartelization: According to some defence analysts, allowing the private sector to pursue space projects or the launch of any satellite for their own profit may result in lobbying and unfair means.

 

Goals of India’s space programme

• To leverage outer space to accelerate national development.
• Achieving strategic edge, from the point of view of military dimensions and global competition.
• Business and economy, outer space can no longer be about narrowly framed ideas of “development” and “national prestige”.

 

Way forward

• Distinct body: India should establish a separate organisation that can level the playing field between government and private space firms.
• New space law: India should enact a new space law with the goal of increasing its share of the global space economy to 10% within a decade. This will require a new type of partnership between ISRO, the established commercial sector, and the New Space entrepreneurs.
• Boosting startup ecosystem: Hence government should offer enabling policy environment to activate the full potential of Indian space startups into the Indian space effort.