Indian Space Policy: ISRO to focus on R&D
The Hindu
The new Indian Space Policy was made public on April 20, 2023; ISRO to focus on R&D
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.