After much anticipation and a series of consultations and feedback from various stakeholders, India has finally released its much-awaited policy establishing guidelines and rules for the country’s space ecosystem.
On Thursday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) released the final version (PDF) of its “Indian Space Policy 2023,” received approval from the country’s supreme decision-making body earlier this month.
The policy emphasizes the Indian government’s aim to “augment space capabilities” and brings “regulatory certainty” to the space sector reforms that were announced in 2020. It also sketches out the role and responsibilities of the newly-formed Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe), which works with private players including space tech startups in the country to develop solutions and services for the space sector.
“IN-SPACe shall function as an autonomous government organization, mandated to promote, hand-hold, guide and authorize space activities in the country. For this purpose, IN-SPACe shall periodically issue guidelines and procedures, that would, among other things, promote ease of doing business,” the policy states.
In addition to private participants, IN-SPACe will collaborate with academia and national as well as global industry players to boost space developments in the country. The policy also defines that the center should “issue guidelines for meeting safety and security requirements for space objects.”
The policy allows startups to “undertake end-to-end activities in space sector through establishment and operations of space objects, ground-based assets and related services, such as communication, remote sensing, navigation, etc” subject to the guidelines issued by IN-SPACe.
Separately, ISRO has defined its role to focus “primarily on research and devel.
new space technologies and applications, and for expanding the human understanding of outer space.” The space agency will enable “free and open” data access from its remote sensing satellites of ground sample distance of 5 meters and higher to private and public participants in the space sector. Additionally, it will make archived satellite data and satellite derived thematic data from remote sensing satellites available on a “free and open” basis for research and development purposes.
new space technologies and applications, and for expanding the human understanding of outer space.” The space agency will enable “free and open” data access from its remote sensing satellites of ground sample distance of 5 meters and higher to private and public participants in the space sector. Additionally, it will make archived satellite data and satellite derived thematic data from remote sensing satellites available on a “free and open” basis for research and development purposes.