NASA’s Artemis II mission will be a grand success: ISRO chairman V. Narayanan
Recalling past human landings on the moon, Dr. Narayanan said the Artemis programme is a step towards repeating the feat
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Context
The ISRO chairman, V. Narayanan, expressed strong confidence in the success of NASA's Artemis II lunar flyby mission, viewing it as a critical step towards future human landings on the moon. Speaking at an award ceremony, he outlined India's ambitious space agenda, including the and the establishment of the by 2035, with a broader goal for India to achieve parity with other leading space-faring nations by 2040. He also highlighted the significant growth of India's domestic space ecosystem, noting the involvement of over 400 startups.
UPSC Perspectives
Science & Technology
The chairman's statements underscore India's strategic vision for its space sector, moving from application-based activities to advanced human spaceflight and interplanetary exploration. The [Gaganyaan programme], India's first human spaceflight mission, aims to launch a crew of three into a 400 km orbit and return them safely. This program is a crucial stepping stone, developing critical technologies like human-rated launch vehicles (HLVM3), life support systems, and crew escape mechanisms. Building on this, the [Bharatiya Antariksh Station] is India's plan for a modular space station in Low Earth Orbit, with the first module launch targeted for 2028 and full operation by 2035. This station will serve as a laboratory for microgravity experiments in biology and materials science, enhancing India's capacity for long-duration space missions and reducing dependency on international facilities. This long-term roadmap reflects a focus on indigenous capability building and establishing India as a major power in space science and exploration.
Economic & Governance
The vision for India's space program is deeply linked to economic growth and policy reforms aimed at fostering a robust space economy. The [Indian Space Policy 2023] is a key governance framework that formalizes this shift, aiming to increase India's share of the global space economy from its current 2% to 10%. A major pillar of this policy is encouraging private sector participation. The creation of the [Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe)] acts as a single-window agency to regulate and promote Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs), including the 400+ startups mentioned. To attract capital and technology, the government has also liberalized the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy in the space sector, allowing up to 100% FDI in manufacturing of components and graded automatic-route entry for satellite manufacturing (74%) and launch vehicles (49%). These reforms create a predictable regulatory environment, intended to stimulate innovation, create high-tech employment, and build a self-reliant industrial base for space activities.
International Relations
The ISRO chairman's endorsement of NASA's highlights the significance of international cooperation in modern space exploration. The , which includes the Artemis II mission, is itself a multi-national coalition aimed at returning humans to the Moon and establishing a sustainable presence. India's participation in such global initiatives demonstrates space diplomacy, using shared scientific goals to strengthen bilateral and multilateral ties. The [Artemis Accords], a set of principles for cooperation in the civil exploration and use of space, forms the bedrock of this collaboration, emphasizing peaceful purposes, transparency, and interoperability. For India, collaborating on missions like Artemis offers access to advanced technologies and shared knowledge, while its own growing capabilities, such as the , make it a valuable partner for other space agencies. This cooperative stance, combined with its independent ambitions, positions India as a key and responsible actor in global space governance.