ISRO, IN-SPACe Face Rocket Transfer Row

There is no answer to the question of how IN-SPACe invited EOIs for ISRO's mature rockets and whether it was based on any government policy decision.

With the role of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) in transferring the Indian space agency's rocket manufacturing technologies to the private sector being questioned by a couple of former secretaries of the Department of Space and nine employee associations, ISRO and IN-SPACe are in a fire-fighting mode.

While terming some media reports as misleading narrative, both ISRO and Dr Pawan Kumar Goenka, chairman, IN-SPACe, have not answered the core questions raised there by the retired secretaries, who were also chairmen of the Space Commission and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), as well as the employee associations.

Nine associations seek written answers

In their joint letter to Dr V Narayanan, Secretary, Department Of Space, and Chairman, Space Commission and ISRO, the nine employee associations had asked him to give a written clarification on:

'The institutional arrangement under which publicly created technology, test facilities, launch complexes and know-how - built with taxpayer funds and the labour of generations of ISRO employees -- are being transferred or opened to private operation, and the role of NSIL vis-a-vis IN-SPACe in such transfers.'

The associations have also sought Dr Narayanan's answers to several other questions, including whether the statements of the chairman, IN-SPACe, represent an approved decision of the Government of India, Space Commission or Department of Space, or are an expression of IN-SPACe's promotional outlook.

'If approved, the date, authority and text of the policy decision may kindly be indicated,' the associations said.

The associations have also asked:

'What will be the future mandated role of ISRO as a public organisation -- specifically, whether design, development, realisation, integration, testing and launch of rockets like PSLV, LVM3, SSLV and successor vehicles will continue as ISRO functions or will cease.'

'Whether any decision has been taken to exclude Public Sector Undertakings from the proposed transfer of PSLV/LVM3 production, and the justification for such exclusion.'

Retired Secretaries question IN-SPACe's brief

Retired space secretaries like G Madhavan Nair and others had told this correspondent that IN-SPACe is clearly exceeding its brief in calling Expression of Interest (EOI) from the private sector for ISRO's PSLV and LVM3 rocket technologies as well as for operating the upcoming spaceport in Tamil Nadu.

According to them, transfer of ISRO's technologies falls under the domain of public sector undertaking NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL), while IN-SPACe is only an authorising agency for private sector players.

ISRO, IN-SPACe react

In its post on X platform, ISRO said: 'The Department of Space provides overall policy direction.

'ISRO remains the core organisation for advanced R&D, technology development and national missions.

'IN-SPACe facilitates and authorises the participation of non-government entities, while NSIL undertakes commercialisation and industry-led utilisation of mature capabilities.'

When this is the case, the views of former space secretaries and the nine employee associations that IN-SPACe has exceeded its brief are valid, as it has invited EOIs for various rockets and the upcoming spaceport of ISRO.

'We wish to categorically state that ISRO will neither be privatised nor will its importance be diminished.

'ISRO will continue to remain India's principal institution for advanced space research and technology development, national and strategic missions, space science and exploration, and critical and frontier space capabilities,' ISRO said.

Participation of the private sector in space is to enable ISRO to focus even more strongly on the next generation of India's space programme, while industry scales mature technologies and capabilities, ISRO said.

'What is changing is not the importance of ISRO, but the scale and structure of India's space ecosystem,' the Indian space agency said.

According to the post, space-sector reforms initiated since 2020 and institutionalised through the Indian Space Policy 2023, along with progressive liberalisation of foreign direct investment (FDI) policy, aim to create a larger, stronger and globally competitive Indian space ecosystem.

ISRO said transferring a mature technology enables large-scale production, commercialisation, innovation and access to global markets while allowing its scientific and technical manpower to concentrate on advanced research, next-generation technologies and complex national missions.

However, the ownership and control of critical national space infrastructure and strategic capabilities will continue to remain with the government.

Private participation in operations and services will be enabled where appropriate and will remain subject to national security, safety and other regulatory requirements.

Strategic and nationally critical capabilities will continue to be governed by security, safety, quality and national interest considerations, ISRO said.

The Indian space agency said the transition is therefore towards an 'ISRO-led national space ecosystem.'

ISRO points to Space Vision 2047

As to its next frontier, the Indian space agency listed building a space station, Moon and planetary explorations.

'This transition is particularly important in the context of Space Vision 2047.

'India's ambitions include establishing the Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035 (space station), undertaking an Indian crewed mission to the Moon by 2040, developing next-generation and reusable launch systems, pursuing sustained lunar and planetary exploration, and establishing India as a major global space power.

'These are technologically demanding missions that require ISRO to remain focused on advanced research and capabilities that cannot simply be substituted by commercial activity,' the social media post notes.

On his part, Dr Goenka said: 'IN-SPACe will facilitate and authorise greater non-government participation, while NSIL will help commercialise mature capabilities.

'The idea is to let industry increasingly manufacture and scale mature launch vehicles, satellites and other systems, while ISRO focuses on what it is uniquely placed to do: advanced R&D, scientific missions, strategic missions, new technologies, and infrastructure that is too complex for the private sector to develop on its own.'

However, there is no answer to the question of how IN-SPACe invited EOIs for ISRO's mature rockets and whether it was based on any government policy decision.

Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at venkatacharijagannathan@gmail.com