Editorial 2: What Subhanshu Shukla’s trip to ISS means for India’s space program
Context
Ten minutes after the Axiom-4 launch, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla stated that the lift-off marked not only the start of his journey to the ISS but also the beginning of India’s human spaceflight program.
New era for ISRO
- Shukla’s trip marks the start of a new phase in India’s space program, where human spaceflight would become as routine as satellite launches.
- Although the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) missed its ambitious aim of sending a human into space by 2022, the challenge put new energy into the space agency and forced it to work urgently on the Gaganyaan program. The project involves a series of manned missions to space.
- Human spaceflight today is not just a matter of adventure. It is a strategic capability that can lead to special advantages for the countries possessing it.
- Space, including the Moon and potentially Mars, is opening up for scientific and commercial exploitation, and human space travel would be a key capability facilitating this.
- There is also the apprehension that like nuclear technology, space could also become exclusionary, with only a handful of countries controlling and regulating space travel.
- ISRO has done well over the last few decades to indigenously develop crucial technologies, and demonstrate capabilities that are at par with the best in the world.
- With human spaceflight, ISRO would shift into new gears, and build the platform for accomplishing even bigger things in space.
- It has already announced plans to set up its own space station, and land humans on the Moon by 2040.
- Notably, Shukla is not riding piggyback on the capabilities of others in the Axiom-4 mission. ISRO has been an equal partner in this entire exercise, starting from the planning stages.
- The learnings from the Axiom-4 mission can be useful for the Gaganyaan program, whose first crewed mission is expected to launch by 2027.
Consequential technology
- Space is going to be one of the few extremely consequential technologies of the future along with others such as artificial intelligence, quantum, and clean energy.
- These are likely to have huge economic and strategic implications. Unlike other areas where India has a lot of catching up to do, space is one technology domain where the country is among the front-runners.
- However, to retain that position and press its advantage, India would need to keep competing with countries such as the United States and China.
- Space technologies have also opened up opportunities for the private sector to play an active role.
- There are attractive business opportunities in harnessing and use of space-based technologies. This is being seen in the United States, where the private sector has created a thriving space ecosystem.
- Despite being one of the leading space powers, India currently accounts for just about 2 per cent of the global space economy. As a result, there is a lot of opportunity for rapid growth.
Conclusion
Therefore, India’s capabilities in human spaceflight can draw a lot of younger talent to the space sector. This, in turn, can spark innovation, create employment, and boost the economy.