For the first time, in an effort to promote Make in India in the space sector, the government has decided to open it up for private participation. In April the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) came out with the Announcement of Opportunity (AO) document where Human Space Program innovations and creative technologies for space explorations are required. The idea behind this is to ensure widening of scientific knowledge, economic growth, value addition to the quality of life of a common man and thus national development.
Interest areas:
Radiation Hazards Characterisation and Mitigation Techniques; Space Food and Related Technologies; Inflatable Habitats Technology; Human Robotic Interfaces; Thermal Protection Systems; Environmental Control And Life Support Systems; Green Propulsion; Advanced Materials; Debris Management and Mitigation; Energy Harness And Storage; In-situ 3D Manufacturing Technologies For Space; Fluid Technology and Management; Space Bioengineering; Bio-Astronautics; Simulated Gravity Technologies; Human Psychology For Long Term Missions; Space Medicine And Diagnosis; Any Other Relevant Technology Related To Human Space Programme.
Conditions for the Opportunity
Milind Kulshreshtha, C4I expert, says, “ISRO has detailed various conditions of the developmental work. However, the developed payloads shall not be allowed to carry any chemical or nuclear substances, biological samples that are prohibited by the COSPAR (Committee on Space Research ) guidelines on planetary protection. It shall be the responsibility of participating Organisation to ensure that payloads shall not result in any harmful contamination of the outer space environment. Some restrictions have been put on the selected developmental Organisation such as the developed the proposal shall not be allowed to be used for marketing or business purposes without prior permission from Government of India.”
“The Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) such as patents, design rights etc. acquired shall be jointly owned by ISRO and the Research institute under all circumstances, irrespective of workshare or budget share. The commercialization of such IP rights is allowed only with the consent/permission of ISRO, on mutually agreed specific terms and conditions, which shall be determined on a case by case basis by ISRO,” Kulshreshtha adds.
India’s Recent Space Initiatives
Over the last five decades, ISRO has launched over a hundred space missions to advance its Space technology. India has to-date launched two Lunar missions viz. Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2, with Chandrayaan-2 being partially successful since the Lander crash-landed on the Lunar surface and rendered non-usable. In 2014, India setup an orbiter in the Mars orbit, thereby proving its space travel capabilities. ISRO’s mission Gaganyaan is to launch a first manned rocket carrying Indian astronauts into space from Indian soil.
The Human Spaceflight Centre (HSFC) of the ISRO is responsible for the Gaganyaan Project, from mission planning, Systems Engineering for human survival in space, up to the stage of crew selection and training.
“With a vibrant Space launch programme of ISRO, and need to develop sophisticated technologies by Space community, capable and deserving Private sector players, including MSMEs now have an opportunity available for specialization in the field of science and technology,” the C4I expert states.
