New Delhi Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C53, which was launched on Thursday with three satellites in its primary payload, is the first official public-private collaboration for space launch in India.
The three Singapore satellites were launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, as part of a contract signed by ISRO through its commercial arm New Space India Limited.
The PSLV-C53 rocket also carried two instruments belonging to private Indian space startups, Digantara and Dhruv Space, which were part of the mission’s secondary payload and part of its Polar Orbital Experiment Module (POEM). The inclusion of both laid the groundwork for greater public-private partnerships by the Indian National Center for Space Promotion and Authorization (IN-SPACe).
While primary payload refers to the main satellites launched in a mission, secondary payloads include additional satellites that fly alongside a mission with the primary payload to maximize the use of space infrastructure.
IN-SPACe is a nodal agency appointed by the Department of Space, which can authorize a non-government entity to use ISRO’s infrastructure and resources, including ISRO’s launch facilities.
The company’s chief executive Anirudh Sharma said Digantara is building a “map for space”. To do this, the company is working to map space radiations, debris, orbits and other related conditions. Eventually, Digantara plans to deploy a constellation of 40 space weather sensing satellites and supply data to commercial space operators for a fee.
Dhruv, on the other hand, wants to become a private satellite operator, providing full-stack satellite development, launch, deployment, operation and maintenance services to customers around the world. With ISRO’s PSLV, the company tested its satellite deployment capability through its proprietary interface.
Speaking in an interview ahead of the launch, Digantara K Sharma said IN-SPACe helped facilitate access to ISRO’s Directorate of Space Situational Awareness and Management (DSSAM), making it its core technology.
Digantara was initially planning to launch its Technology Demonstration Satellite (TD-SAT) with US-based private space operator, SpaceX, before signing the initial agreement with ISRO. “There were fewer hurdles to jump (to launch with an international private operator), which is why we were in talks with them,” Sharma said.
This is where IN-SPACe contributed – helping to streamline the process, clarify regulatory hurdles and facilitate connectivity for public-private partnerships in the space, he said. Dhruv’s Nekkanti said that after the deployment of CubeSats in orbit on Thursday, the company has entered into an agreement with NSIL to launch its first official missions, Thybolt-1 and Thybolt-2, on ISRO’s next commercial mission- PSLV-C54. has signed.