Deccan Herald | A Strategic Thrust To Space Beyond Borders

As space activities grow beyond the traditional state-led programs, policy is beginning to catch up. On October 17, the US government eased space-related export controls to expand its commercial sector's reach. However, trade liberalisation in the space sector should evolve beyond allowing hardware sales. International cooperation between the US and its allies can distribute the space technology supply chains beyond national borders across trusted geographies. When spread across globally, technology development will reduce costs, enable specialisation, facilitate innovation, increase production rates and promote geopolitical stability on Earth and beyond.

By Ashwin Prasad

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Deccan Herald | Needed: AI-enabled intel-sharing

Such a solution would overcome agency silos and ensure seamless and real-time information flows.

By Yusuf T. Unjhawala

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Deccan Herald | Enhancing India’s space-tech manufacturing ecosystem

A private sector space industry has come up. Govt must trust its capabilities and place orders to sustain and build it.

By Air Marshal T D Joseph (Retd)

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Times of India | That giant step for Isro

SpaceX has pulled off the world’s first commercial spacewalk. Private space stations are also on the way. To be part of this future up there, India needs to overcome diplomatic & institutional hurdles down here

By Aditya Ramanathan

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Money Control | Indian Army needs to abandon its ad hoc approach to arming the infantry

SIG716 rifles purchased by the Army gives it breathing space. It must use it to fix the small arms mess marked by piecemeal acquisitions. India needs data-driven acquisition for firearms procurement

By Aditya Ramanathan

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Moneycontrol | Drones are changing warfare. India needs to move fast

Joint venture and not self-reliance is the best way forward. We also require a culture of collaboration between military and industry. Read full article here.

Mint | Private sector participation in LVM3 production could mean a space sector boom

In a recent keynote address at a US- India Business Council event, the chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), S. Somnath, spoke about the retirement of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (Nasa) Space Shuttle programme in 2011. For three decades, the Space Shuttle had ferried astronauts and satellites, even aided in building the International Space Station (ISS).  Read the full article here.

Firstpost | Agnikul’s first test flight: Time for private sector to be wings of Indian space industry

Agnikul’s first rocket, Agnibaan SOrTeD, completed its maiden suborbital test flight, marking a significant milestone for the Indian private space industry.

Accessing space is now easier than ever, creating new growth and innovation opportunities. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle ( SSLV ) to enable quick and flexible on-demand launches, complementing its existing fleet of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLV) and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicles (GSLV) for heavier payloads. Read the full article here.

Deccan Herald | New guidelines could hamper India’s promising space industry

On May 3, space regulator Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) released new guidelines and procedures for space activity. These guidelines may have a detrimental effect on India’s emerging private space sector. Read the full article here.

The Diplomat | China’s Military-Civil Fusion Space Program

On April 17, NASA chief Bill Nelson cautioned that China’s “so-called civilian space program is a military program,” emphasizing that the United States is engaged in a space “race” with China. While NASA may have its reasons for securitizing this issue, one cannot overlook China’s rapid advancements in the space sector. China’s objective is to develop and acquire advanced dual-use technology for military purposes and deepen the reform of its national defense science and technology industries, which also serves a broader purpose of strengthening the country’s comprehensive national power. Read the full article here.

Firstpost | How private sector can propel a new wave of space revolution in India

The Government of India amended the FDI policy for the space sector on 5 March 2024. This has liberalised thresholds for various space-related activities. This change comes on the heels of a slew of space reforms by the government that began in 2020. The reforms created a fertile ground for the cropping up of many space start-ups in the country but did not address their funding needs. While the FDI reforms have the potential to address this deficiency, they are insufficient in a vacuum. India’s share of the global space economy is $8 billion, and the government aims for a five-fold increase by 2040. To achieve this, the government will have to place larger bets. Read the full article here.

Times of India | In final frontier, 4 is the first number

For the first time in 40 years, a small group of Indians is set to venture into the perilous and untamed wilderness that lies beyond our atmosphere. Yesterday, Modi feted four test pilots – Prasanth Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap and Shubhanshu Shukla – who are to become the first Indians in outer space since Rakesh Sharma’s historic journey on Soyuz T-11 in 1984.

Unveiling the fab four | Yesterday’s event was a ceremonial milestone for the ambitious Gaganyaan programme, which aims to make India one of only four countries that can independently carry out human spaceflight. Read the full article here.

Hindustan Times | Chandrayaan will help us profit from the heavens

After Chandrayaan-3’s success, India’s goal is to not only build on Isro’s extraordinary achievement but also to harness popular enthusiasm for space exploration towards concrete outcomes for the country’s high-technology economy. Unlike the IT and biotech sectors, space remains a State-led industry. Governments such as those of the United States have deep pockets and can act as anchor customers until segments of the space sector stabilise and become self-sustaining. Most government and private funding is directed to practical space applications such as satellites that provide immediate returns on investment. Military requirements are a primary driver of satellite infrastructure as are other State-led requirements such as monitoring weather patterns and ecological degradation. All this needs cutting-edge innovation that only space exploration can drive. Read the full article here.

Times of India | Why India must now prepare for lunar geopolitics as well

The successful Chandrayaan-3 mission not only marks India’s ascension to a tiny club of lunar states, it also marks the first time humans have conducted a controlled landing in the southern polar region of the Moon. Read the full article here.