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Last Update: May 2023 (Indian Private Sector in Space)

Indian Private Sector in Space

This article deals with ‘Indian Private Sector in Space‘. This is part of our series on ‘Science and Technology which is an important pillar of the GS-3 syllabus. For more articles, you can click here.

Introduction

Under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan, the Government has envisioned the private sector’s role in India’s space program, including satellites, launches, and space-based services.
The Government also announced Space Park in Bangalore in 100 Acres, where companies will set up their plants to synchronize their projects.
ISRO is also taking up various steps to promote the Indian private sector in space. These include
1. The private sector has been allowed to use ISRO facilities and other relevant assets to improve their capacities.
2. ISRO is helping a consortium of companies to build polar satellite launch vehicles.
3. In 2018, ISRO had signed a contract with three companies to build 27 satellites in three years.

Organizations

Antrix

Antrix is the private arm of ISRO & is helping ISRO to get commercial deals.

Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe)

The Government of India has created In-SPACe to boost private sector participation in the entire range of space activities like building routine satellites, rockets and commercial launch services.
It will have its directorates for technical, legal, safety and security, monitoring and activities promotion. It will function autonomously and parallel to ISRO.

New Space India Limited

NSIL is the commercial arm of ISRO.
It was incorporated in 2019 as a Government-owned enterprise.
The main functions of NSIL include
- NSIL will enable Indian industries to build the capacity of the domestic market for space manufacturing.
- NSIL will facilitate the transfer of ISRO technologies to the industry.
The launch of a Brazilian satellite named ‘Amazonia-1’ in 2021 was the first commercial deal of NSIL.

Private Space Agencies

1. SpaceX

Owned by Elon Musk.

2. Blue Origin

Owned by Jeff Bezos (of Amazon).
The primary rocket system of Blue Origin is called New Shephard, which will take tourists to space 100 km above Earth and start a new space tourism industry.
In June 2021, New Shephard auctioned the first ticket for space tourism sold for $28 million.

3. Virgin Galactic

Owned by Richard Branson.
The company is working on space tourism.

Indian Space Association (ISpA)

ISpA is an industrial body which consists of various stakeholders in the Indian space industry.
It acts as a single-window agency for opening the Indian space sector for the private sector and building global linkages.

Indian Space Startups

1. Pixxel India

Pixxel India is a Bengaluru-based startup.
It is working on a project to place a large number of Remote Sensing Satellites for continuous observation of every part of the Earth, and data thus generated will be used for combating climate change, agriculture and urban planning.
The first satellite of Pixxel India has been named called Anand.

2. Skyroot

Skyroot is a Hyderabad-based company that has made a Vikram-S launch vehicle to enter the launch market.
Properties of Vikram-S Launch Vehicle
- It is a single-stage sub-orbital launch vehicle.
- It is 3D printed.
- The core structure is built using carbon composites.
It made its first successful flight in November 2022. It was launched with support from ISRO and IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre).
It is part of Mission Prarambh, which involves the Indian private sector’s entry into the space launch market.

3. Dhruva Space

It is a Bangalore based start-up.
It is the first Indian start-up that will design and manufacture satellites with the capacity to manufacture 10-12 satellites annually.

4. Digantara

Digantara is an Indian space start-up of India that will set up a commercial Space Situational Awareness (SSA) observatory in the Garhwal region (Uttarakhand).
SSA refers to knowledge of the space environment, assessing any threats to space activities and implementing necessary mitigation measures to safeguard space assets.

5. Earth2Orbit

Earth2Orbit (India’s first space startup) has been set up to solve climate change from outer space.

Benefits of entry of Private Players

Increasing demand for satellites with the need to launch 18-20 satellites every year. With the existing ISRO workforce, it is challenging to meet this target, and the private sector can play a role here.
Getting latest innovations and trends: Public-Private Sector collaboration will boost the Indian space sector as the private sector can get access to ISRO’s cutting edge technology and innovations.
Reducing dependence on taxpayer’s money: Involvement of the private sector will help the government save government funds as private capital can be used to carry out expensive space projects.
Job creation: It will help in creating new jobs in the high skilled space industry.
Achieve our geopolitical objectives: Given the current geopolitical situation of the country and security threats, growth in the space sector can help the country gain leverage over others.
Shift from supply-driven model to demand-driven model: Almost every sector, from agriculture to transport, weather department and even urban development, now wants satellite data and space technology. The private sector can fill this gap.
Promote Make in India: With active private participation, India can aspire to become a satellite manufacturing hub and a launchpad for the world with a variety of rockets ranging from the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle to the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle.

Concerns

Security and strategic concerns as critical and sensitive information may fall into the wrong hands.
Conflicts of interest: As ISRO is both a regulator and an operator, this conflict of interest will likely manifest during dispute resolution between private players and ISRO entities.
It is a hazardous business involving negative returns and failures. Very few companies may have the appetite to bear the cost of such losses.
Social welfare may take a backseat: ISRO has always worked on applications like remote sensing, tracking of land use, resource mapping etc., enhancing social welfare. However, private companies will have more profitable interests than developing solutions.
Increase in space debris: Estimates say there are already 23,000 pieces of debris larger than 10 centimetres and over 500,000 pieces of smaller junk circling Earth.
Issue of liability of private entities: Multilateral treaties of international law are outdated and do not correspond well with contemporary reality.

Last Update: May 2023 (Indian Satellite Launch Vehicles)

Indian Satellite Launch Vehicles

This article deals with ‘Indian Satellite Launch Vehicles‘. This is part of our series on ‘Science and Technology’ which is an important pillar of the GS-3 syllabus. For more articles, you can click here.

Satellite Launch Vehicles

SLV

SLV = Satellite Launch Vehicle.
It was a four-stage launch vehicle (all stages used solid fuel).
Payload that SLV could carry = 40 kg till 400 km.
The first successful launch of SLV happened in 1980 in the project headed by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
Later, India also used SLV to place the Rohini satellite in its orbit.

ASLV

ASLV = Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle.
ASLV was designed to augment the capacity of SLV.
It was a five-stage launch vehicle (all stages used solid propellant).
The payload that ASLV could carry = 150 kg till Low Earth Orbit.
The first successful launch of SLV happened in 1994, and it is retired now.

PSLV

PSLV = Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
The first launch using PSLV happened in 1993.
The payload that PSLV can carry = up to 1600 kg till Sun-Synchronous Polar Orbit.
PSLV is very reliable, and 54 of its 57 launches were successful.
ISRO used it to launch Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS) such as Cartosat, Oceansat etc. and some other historic missions like Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), IRNSS/ NAVIC etc.
It has three variants, i.e. PSLV–G, PSLV-CA and PSLV-XL. The latest version of PSLV, i.e. PSLV-XL, can carry up to 1750 kg. Chandrayaan & Mars missions were launched using this.
Stages of PSLV: Four stages using solid and liquid fuel alternately.

First	– It uses solid fuel, i.e. HTPB- Hydroxyl Terminated Poly-Butadiene.
Second	– It uses liquid propellant, i.e. UDMH-Unsymmetrical Di Methyl Hydrazine with Nitrogen Tetroxide as an oxidiser. – It employs a Vikas engine.
Third	– It uses solid fuel, i.e. HTPB- Hydroxyl Terminated Poly-Butadiene.
Fourth	– It uses liquid propellant, i.e. Mono Methyl Hydrazine. – It employs Vikas Engine.

PSLV and importance to the Indian Space Program

PSLV was the country’s first operational launch vehicle and is dubbed as the ‘workhorse of ISRO’.
It is highly successful and reliable. It has a record of 97% successful launches, which is one of the most successful in the world.
It is used to carry IRS satellites to Polar Sun Synchronous Orbits with utmost precision. Till now, India has launched 54 Indian satellites and 222 foreign satellites using PSLV.
It poses potential competition to the west due to its lower launch price and is helping India to earn a lot of revenue.
It has also helped India in launching spy satellites and boosting national security.
ISRO launched the maximum number of satellites in the world in a single operation, i.e. 104 satellites using PSLV.

Side Topic: POEM Platform

The PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) has been designed to use Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle’s final and otherwise abandoned stage for in-orbit research.
In general operations, the PSLV is a four-stage rocket where the first three spent stages fall back into the ocean, and the final stage (PS4) — after launching the satellite into orbit — ends up as space junk.

GSLV / GSLV MK-II

GSLV = Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
The first launch using GSLV happened in 2001.
ISRO made it to launch Geosynchronous and Geosynchronous Satellites.
It can carry up to 2500 kg till Geostationary Orbit (and 5,000 kg till Low Earth Orbit (LEO)).
It can be used to launch Indian National satellites (INSAT) & GSAT in Geostationary and Geosynchronous orbits. (but most of Geostationary Satellites are around 3000 kg to 4000 kg, which GSLV MK II can’t take till Geostationary Orbit & we used to be dependent on Ariane Aerospace for their launches)
The next version of this launch vehicle is GSLV MK-3.
Stages of GSLV: GSLV is a 3 stage vehicle

First	Solid propelled
Second	Liquid propelled with hypergolic fuels
Third	Liquid propelled

Stage 1 & 2 are directly taken over from PSLV.

GSLV MK-III

Earlier (before June 2017), ISRO was in the position to launch only satellites weighing between 2 & 2.5 tons into geostationary orbits. But most contemporary communications satellites usually are in the weight category of 3 to 5 tons & therefore require a more powerful launcher. Moreover, India’s future missions to the Moon, Mars and Venus also need a powerful launcher. Appreciating this need, ISRO has made GSLV-Mark III a vehicle capable of placing 4-ton satellites in geostationary orbit.

Main Features of GSLV MK-III

It is the latest version of GSLV.
GSLV MK-III made its maiden flight from Sri Harikota in 2017, placing GSAT-19 in Geostationary Orbit.
Later, ISRO used the GLSV Mk-III to launch Chandrayaan-2 Mission (India’s second Lunar Mission).
GSLV Mk-3 can carry
- Up to 4 tons till Geostationary Orbit
- Up to 10 tons till Low Earth Orbit (Polar Satellites)
Hence, it has ended India’s reliance on the EU’s Arianespace launch vehicle to send GSAT satellites into Geosynchronous orbits.

GSLV MK-3 is a three-stage vehicle

First	Solid propellant
Second	Liquid Propellant
Third	Cryogenic Engine uses the Liquid Oxygen & Liquid Hydrogen as oxidiser and fuel, respectively (this stage differs from GSLV Mk-2).

Compared to solid and liquid propellants, a cryogenic propellant is more efficient. It provides more thrust by burning the same amount of propellant than Earth-based storable liquid and solid propellants.

Note: India had signed MoU with Russia to transfer Cryogenic Engines to India in starting 1990s, but the USA pressurised Russia not to supply these to India, arguing that it would violate MTCR Treaty (although Cryogenic engines are not used in Missiles). Due to this, India’s program suffered.

Significance

GSLV Mark III has made India a competitive player in the multimillion-dollar commercial launch market. It will help in earning substantial foreign exchange.
It will end India’s dependence on foreign launch vehicles to put its heavy satellites (GSAT series) in the geosynchronous orbit. (Earlier, India was dependent on France’s Ariane space ).
India can also send its astronauts into space using this.
It will boost India’s communication resources as the cost of launching Communication Satellites will reduce
Cryogenic Technology used in it can be further used in making Inter Continental Ballistic Missile.
It is a massive step in making India a ‘knowledge-based economy’. Till now, only USA (Saturn V), Russia (Proton M), China (Long March 5) & European Space Agency (Ariane), along with one private player (Space X), can launch geostationary and geosynchronous satellites.

Semi Cryogenic Engine

MoU regarding this has been signed between the Russian Space Agency & ISRO.
It would be India’s third Rocket Development Program.
Project Cost – approx. ₹1,800 crores.
It will be able to launch a 6 to 10-ton payload to the height of 36,000 km (more than GSLV-Mk-3).
Currently, only Russia & US has this technology.

Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)

Due to the advancement in electronics, small satellites have started to be built on a large scale. Globally, more than 17,000 small satellites are expected to be launched till 2030. Earlier, these satellites were launched as piggybacks with big satellites. But ISRO has developed a small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV) to exploit this newly emerging market fully.
India is also building its second launch station in the Thoothukudi district in Tamil Nadu, and it will house one launchpad exclusively for small satellite launch vehicles (SSLV).
SSLV made its first successful flight in 2022 and its second in 2023.
India’s SSLV has the following features.
- Weight = 110 ton
- Payload = Can launch satellites weighing up to 500 kg.
- Time to integrate for launch = 72 hours (in contrast to 70 days with present launch vehicles)
- Cost = Rs. 30 crores per launch
- Stage: Three solid stages followed by a liquid-fuel-based Velocity Trimming Module (VTM)
- New Space India Limited (NSIL) is the nodal agency (not ISRO)
The new vehicle has been developed to capture the emerging small and microsatellite commercial market, with launches offered on demand.
JAXA (of Japan) was one of the first space agencies to make this type of launch vehicle. A private company named bluShift is also focused on manufacturing Small Satellite Launch Vehicles. In January 2021, their Satellite Vehicle named Stardust1.0 came into operation with a mass of 250 kg and a carrying capacity of 8 kg.

Private Sector Launch Vehicle: Vikram-S

Skyroot is a Hyderabad-based company that has made a Vikram-S launch vehicle to enter the launch market.
Properties of Vikram-S Launch Vehicle
- It is a single-stage sub-orbital launch vehicle.
- It is 3D printed.
- The core structure is built using carbon composites.
- It can carry between 290 kg and 560 kg payloads into sun-synchronous polar orbits.
- The engine used in the launch vehicle is named ‘Kalam-80’

It made its first successful flight in November 2022. It was launched with support from ISRO and IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre).
It is part of Mission Prarambh, which involves the Indian private sector’s entry into the space launch market.

Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV)

In 2016, ISRO successfully launched the first technology demonstrator of the indigenously made RLV. However, many more such successful launches have to be undertaken before ISRO readies a reusable launch vehicle for commercial use.
In simple words, it is a winged vehicle that will take off vertically like a rocket and glide back to land horizontally like a plane.
It will have a two-stage-to-orbit configuration.

Advantages

It will cut down the cost of launching satellites to 1/10th. The main launch cost currently comes from building the rocket, which can be used just once, as the rockets get burnt on re-entry into the atmosphere.
A more developed version of the vehicle could be used for human-crewed missions in the future.
It will also help in reducing space debris.

Note – No sovereign space agency has RLV for satellite launches. SpaceX is also working on this project.

Scramjet Engine

ISRO successfully conducted the Scramjet (or Supersonic Combusting ramjet) engine test. India has become the fourth nation to successfully flight-test a scramjet engine after the United States, Russia and China.
The scramjet engine uses natural oxygen present in the atmosphere to burn the fuel stored in the rocket. Hence, it reduces the amount of oxidiser carried along with the fuel, bringing down launch costs.

Benefits

It increases lift-off mass as there will be no need to carry liquified oxygen on board. (Note: propellant accounts for nearly 85% of the weight of a rocket, and in that oxygen accounts for almost 60% .)
Scramjet does not have rotating parts, so the chances of failure are also measurably reduced.

Mains Question: India & Satellite Launch Market

Satellite Launch is a multi-billion dollar industry, and Antrix (commercial wing of ISRO) is emerging as a significant player in this sector.
Among 10 countries that have launch capability to launch satellites, only US, Russia, EU, Japan, China and India (6) make their services available commercially.

Satellite launch business has two basic categories:
- Launching satellites into Low Earth Orbit (LEO): India provides services here using PSLV.
- Launching 3-5 tonne satellites in Geostationary Orbit: After making GSLV MK III, hopefully, India will enter this market in the future. But presently, no commercial deal in this category has been made.

India launched SAARC/ South Asian Satellite in 2017, indicating that it is now using satellite technology as a foreign policy tool.

ISRO has made a world record with the launch of 104 Satellites in one launch. With this, India has shown its technological prowess to the world. Out of 104, 101 were foreign satellites.

With the entry of private players like SpaceX, Boeing and Blue Origin, the satellite launch market is becoming more competitive.

For becoming more competitive, India needs to take the following immediate steps.
1. PSLV’s design should be shared with the Indian private industry.
2. India should develop more launching sites to perform more annual launches.
3. Small satellites below 100 kg are becoming popular nowadays, but they are launched as piggyback with large satellites. Countries like the US, Japan, Russia & China and private players like SpaceX are making LV launch these satellites. ISRO should make a conscious decision to develop a new rocket for launching the small satellites.

Challenges

The entry of private giants like SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing etc., in this field increased the competition.
ISRO is a minor player in the global space industry. Although ISRO is launching a large number of satellites on commercial terms, these are nano and microsatellites, while the main revenue comes from launching heavier satellites.
Indian share is just 2%
According to the Economic Survey, Antrix is marketing only medium and coarse resolution data products, but Commercial potential for the medium and coarse resolution data segment is facing a threat due to Free and Open Access to such data from Landsat-8 of US and Sentinel from the European Space Agency (ESA).