“We have lift off!”

Space. The final frontier of humankind. The great unknown. You cannot look up at the night sky and not wonder what it is like to be up there, amongst the stars. Ever since the dawn of civilisation, humans have been fascinated by what lies above. We have woven intricate stories to make sense of the cosmos. And now, man’s dream to venture into the depths of space are finally being realised. We have already taken our first steps into the universe. India has finally started to catch up in the traditionally western dominated space race. The Chandrayaan 2 mission was a huge step forward, despite the lander failing to soft-land. ISRO has consistently demonstrated Indian talent and capability even on a shoestring budget. However, for the next phase of space exploration, solely government backing won’t be enough. A solution — Privatisation.

Indian Space Exploration has a rich history of privatisation. Due to Nuclear Testing in the seventies by the Indian Government, sanctions were imposed by the West which prevented importing of Rocket Technology. ISRO has since then followed the model of developing technology inhouse and outsourcing manufacturing to domestic companies. Around eighty per cent of the launcher and sixty per cent of the Chandrayaan 2 payload were manufactured by the 400 odd private companies ISRO works with. Various Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises are designing systems for ISRO. ISRO has shifted into more of a supervisory role. ISRO plans to privatise its launch vehicles by 2020 completely. The government and ISRO have recognised the value that the private sector will bring to space exploration in the form of cost-cutting, additional funding, recruitment of the best talent, and incorporating new technology. ISRO is successfully transferring its technology to space start-ups using New Space India Limited, a government-owned company for the promotion of private investment. ISRO will thus be able to focus more on research while satellite making and small launchers will be developed by the industry.

For space start-ups, two areas provide exciting opportunities for growth. With India’s growing economy, there is a need for more low orbit satellites in orbit. They are smaller, cheaper and easier to produce. These satellites are used for imaging which is used from defence and crop monitoring to geology and urban planning. Affordable internet everywhere can also be delivered by using these satellites. However, with ISRO’s current infrastructure and manpower, and their limited funding, there simply isn’t enough capacity to develop as many satellites as needed and their launching. This is where ISRO has decided to partner up with the private sector. Various start-ups which focus on making smaller launch vehicles like Agnikul Cosmos and Bellatrix Aerospace have popped up in this sector. ISRO is offering them their launch site facilities for a fee along with technology.

With huge increases in computational power, satellites are getting smaller than ever. Imagine, the power your phone has right now is more than that the computers for the Apollo mission had! Similar is the case with satellites. They are getting lighter and lighter by the day. So, if you have a small satellite, you traditionally would have had to wait for a big launcher to launch and have some extra room for you. Companies are now willing to pay a premium for small launchers to get their satellites in orbit ASAP. Many start-ups are focussing on the development of these low orbit satellites. Dhruva Space offers to make satellites for any application. Pixxel is into 3D printing nano-satellites. Making more compact satellites helps make launches cheaper, as they are charged based on cost per kilogram.

The notion of space being too big for small companies is being challenged by these start-ups. However, there are still hurdles ahead. It is yet unclear whether private companies can legally launch their vehicles. The Space Activities Bill of 2017, waiting to become an act, will provide clarity on this and other issues. Another hurdle for these start-ups is that funding is still not plentiful. Multiple stages of development, testing, and government approval are required for space missions. This makes the gestation period for a start-up long by the time returns come. Moreover, immense capital is needed. However, there is money to be made in this field. These are exciting times to be a space start-up in India. A young generation of entrepreneurs, with their will and dedication, are setting the stage for the next chapter of India’s conquest of space.