Ground control, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its first geosynchronous imaging satellite, EOS-05, on a GSLV-F17 rocket on September 4, 2026.
• This achievement coincided with ISRO employee organizations demanding clarity on the agency's long-term plans, staff strength, recruitment, and outsourcing of core functions.
• The Indian Space Policy of April 2023 indicates a strategic shift for ISRO, moving away from commercial satellite and rocket manufacturing towards ambitious exploratory missions.
• IN-SPACe was established to facilitate and regulate increased private sector participation in India's space activities.

Detailed Insights:

• EOS-05 is a state-of-the-art Earth observation spacecraft designed to operate from geosynchronous orbit, approximately 36,000 kilometers above Earth, providing near-continuous imagery over the Indian subcontinent.
• The satellite's capabilities are expected to support disaster management, agriculture, forestry, environmental monitoring, and national security applications.
• The Indian Space Policy 2023 aims to enhance India's space capabilities, foster a robust commercial ecosystem, and utilize space for socio-economic development and national security.
• Under this policy, Non-Government Entities (NGEs) are now permitted to undertake end-to-end activities across the entire space value chain, including manufacturing, launching, and operating satellites.
• IN-SPACe functions as an autonomous single-window agency, promoting and authorizing space activities for both government and private entities while ensuring equitable access to ISRO facilities.
• ISRO is transitioning its focus from routine manufacturing to applied research and exploratory missions, with mature systems being transferred to industry for commercial exploitation.
• The policy also liberalized Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the space sector, allowing up to 74% automatic FDI for satellite manufacturing and operations.
• The shift raises an underlying tension regarding ISRO's founding principles of social development versus a vision driven by commercialization and global space races.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Geosynchronous Imaging Satellite (EOS-05): India's first dedicated Earth observation satellite designed to operate from geosynchronous orbit, providing continuous imagery over a fixed region.
• GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle): An Indian expendable launch system used by ISRO to launch satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbit.
• Indian Space Policy 2023: A comprehensive framework by the Government of India to reform the space sector, promoting private participation and defining roles for ISRO and other entities.
• IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion & Authorisation Centre): An autonomous government organization acting as a single-window agency to authorize and promote private sector space activities in India.
• Non-Government Entities (NGEs): Private companies, LLPs, trusts, and associations permitted to undertake various space activities under the Indian Space Policy 2023.