Why in News?
- Over the last decade, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has delivered high-complexity, high-credibility missions:
- Chandrayaan-3 soft lunar landing (23 Aug 2023).
- Aditya-L1 placed in halo orbit at Sun–Earth L1 (6 Jan 2024).
- NISAR launched with NASA (July 2025).
- Parallel preparation for Gaganyaan, Chandrayaan-4, and Next-Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV).
- Post-2020 liberalisation of India’s space sector has exposed gaps in governance, execution capacity, and competitiveness.
Relevance
GS III (Science & Technology)
- Space technology and applications.
- Transition from mission-based success to institutional capacity building.
- Heavy-lift launch vehicles, reusability, and space competitiveness.
ISRO’s Recent Performance: What Has Changed?
1. Launch Reliability
- Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV):
- Normalised multi-satellite, multi-orbit missions.
- Reliable, cost-effective access to space → operational maturity.
2. Capability Leap
- Shift from Earth-centric missions to:
- Lunar surface operations.
- Solar physics.
- Human spaceflight preparation.
3. International Credibility
- NISAR marks:
- Billion-dollar, equal partnership mission.
- Entry into elite group executing advanced Earth-observation systems.
Implication
- Success has raised the bar: future evaluation is about routine excellence, not isolated achievements.
Core Challenges Ahead
1. Execution Capacity & Mission Bottlenecks
Parallel Mission Load
- Human spaceflight.
- Advanced science missions.
- Satellite replenishment.
- Development of NGLV (beyond medium-lift Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle).
Symptoms of Strain
- Only 5 launches in 2025 (vs projected 8).
- Delays linked to:
- Big-ticket programme prioritisation.
- Limited annual launch cadence.
Structural Issue
- ISRO remains:
- Designer + integrator + operator.
- Creates a single institutional bottleneck.
Systemic Risk
- One anomaly → cascading delays across unrelated missions.
What is Needed ?
- Expanded integration and testing capacity.
- Robust industrial supply chains (structures, avionics).
- Clear separation of:
- R&D vehicles vs operational vehicles.
- Workflows that absorb setbacks without system-wide paralysis.
2. Governance Gap in a Liberalised Space Sector
Post-2020 Institutional Architecture
- IN-SPACe: authorisation & promotion.
- New Space India Limited: commercialisation.
Critical Gap
- Absence of a comprehensive national space law.
Consequences
- Legal ambiguity on:
- Authorisation powers.
- Liability and insurance.
- Dispute resolution.
- ISRO pulled in as:
- Default regulator.
- Technical certifier.
- Commercial failures risk being socialised onto ISRO.
Why a Space Law Matters ?
- Provides statutory authority to IN-SPACe and NSIL.
- Insulates ISRO from routine regulatory/commercial tasks.
- Ensures continuity across political and administrative cycles.
3. Competitiveness as an Ecosystem Problem
Global Trends
- High-frequency launches.
- Partially reusable launch vehicles.
- Rapid satellite manufacturing cycles.
India’s Strategic Response
- NGLV targeting:
- Reusability.
- ~30-tonne payload to Low Earth Orbit.
Core Constraint
- Competitiveness is no longer purely technological.
- Requires:
- Advanced manufacturing.
- Production depth.
- High qualification throughput.
- Large, patient capital.
Financial Stress
- Space-sector investment fell sharply in 2024.
- Hardware-heavy, long-gestation projects deter private finance.
Policy Response
- IN-SPACe’s Technology Adoption Fund:
- Bridge prototype → scalable product.
- Reduce import dependence.
Strategic Insight: From Feats to Systems
- Past: Individual mission brilliance.
- Future: Sustained, institutionalised performance.
- Decisive factors:
- Engineering capacity.
- Legal clarity.
- Industrial depth.
- Financial maturity — evolving together.
