Space sector leaders call for greater global cooperation to address space challenges and expand opportunities

The three-day Indian Space Conclave 2024 organized by Indian Space Association (ISpA) concluded in New Delhi with impactful discussions among global space industry leaders, academia, and defence experts on greater international cooperation and advanced space situational awareness to manage the rapidly expanding satellite traffic. The conclave attracted over 1,000 attendees and featured representation from more than 25 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Finland, Japan, Italy, Luxembourg, Germany, Taiwan, Brazil, Belgium, Chile and many others.

On the concluding day, industry leaders deliberated on the emerging opportunities in human spaceflight, Indo-French space collaboration, and strengthening public-private partnerships within India’s space sector. The Indian Space Association (ISpA) and Brahma Research Foundation also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on advancing space technology and innovation. This partnership aims to leverage their collective expertise in research and development to drive India’s space ecosystem forward. The MoU will also help establish cooperative relations between ISpA & BRF in the areas of science, technology, climate change, entrepreneurship development, innovations (STI) and to help ISpA to perform an all-encompassing role for the entire space domain. The conclave also saw the release of a comprehensive report of the Indian DefSpace Symposium 2024 held in April 2024. The report titled ‘Empowering India’s Defense Space Future’ by Amity University, outlines the strategic insights for advancing India’s defense space capabilities.

During the conclave, SUHORA, the satellite data solutions company unveiled its latest product ‘SPADE’, a subscription-based SaaS platform designed to enhance accessibility to satellite data for critical operations. SPADE allows users to access and analyze multi-sensor satellite data in near real-time, empowering decision-making across vital sectors such as national security, disaster response, and environmental protection. This innovative platform streamlines satellite data into actionable insights, providing organizations with a powerful tool for rapid, data-driven responses to complex challenges.

Major General Brian W. Gibson (USA), Director, Plans and Policy, J-5. United States Space Command said, “We expect thousands of satellites to be launched over the next five to 10 years, some of yours included, which creates a challenge for space traffic management. That’s where space domain awareness comes in. It enables us to see and predict on-orbit activity with increasing proficiency. International cooperation through information sharing, as it always has been, will continue to be a great enabler for our ability to understand better. We hope to continue to build interoperable partnerships with countries like India. As the space domain gets even more congested, partnerships will become even more important between and amongst individual and many nations. Detecting and deterring potential hostile acts against the United States, allied and partner interest in the space domain require enhanced battle space awareness, resilient and timely operational command and control, space systems cyber defense capabilities, and satellite telemetry, tracking, and control architectures. I look forward to being a part of the deepening U.S.-India Military Space Partnership and learning more about the exquisite capabilities that Indian Space Enterprise is developing.”

AVM Pawan Kumar, DG, Defence Space Agency (DSA) said, “India’s space economy is set to grow fivefold over the next decade, outpacing global averages and projected to reach $200 billion by 2047. This rapid growth will bring significant opportunities for military collaboration and capability expansion. Recognizing this, we are focusing on critical areas like intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT); satellite communication; space situational awareness; and space weather. Within ISR, advanced technologies like neuromorphic sensors and edge computing will support persistent surveillance across land and maritime regions. In the field of PNT, India’s NAVIC constellation, set to go live in 2026, will enhance navigation capabilities, supporting both national and joint missions with allied forces. Meanwhile, our future satellite communication framework will center on a seamless, integrated mesh network, offering resilience in difficult terrains. Space situational awareness and space weather monitoring are equally important, especially given recent geomagnetic storms that affected multiple satellites and industries globally. Indian and international space industries must continue to work together to address these challenges, foster innovation, and contribute to a safe, secure, and collaborative use of space for a peaceful global order.”

Lt. Gen. D S Rana AVSM YSM SM Phd.D, DG-DIA & DCIDS (Int) said, “Innovation in the space industry requires a focus beyond building and launching spacecraft. There is a growing need to explore advanced materials, propulsion systems, and cutting-edge communication technologies, demanding extensive research and development across the sector. To truly advance, India must build comprehensive capacities in emerging technologies rather than focusing solely on satellite launches. The private sector can play a transformative role by delivering complete, end-to-end solutions, a model successfully adopted by other leading space-faring nations. In India, this might involve forming consortiums within the private sector, ensuring that all available expertise and technologies are fully harnessed. Public-private partnerships are essential to achieve these goals, facilitating a unified approach that leverages the private sector’s innovative capabilities. This collaborative framework can strengthen India’s space sector, supporting both national objectives and defense needs as space becomes increasingly pivotal to strategic growth and technological self-reliance.”

Dr. S. Unnikrishnan Nair, Director, VSSC-ISRO said, “The Gaganyaan mission marks a pivotal moment in India’s space exploration journey. The mission will serve as the foundation for future, longer-duration space missions and the technology developed through this program will lay the groundwork for India’s ambitions to develop its own space station by 2035. Looking ahead, India’s space program has ambitious plans for the next decade. A new generation launch vehicle with greener propulsion technologies will enable larger payloads and more frequent missions. The aim is not only to develop technologies for crewed spaceflight but to create a sustainable space exploration model. By 2028, India plans to launch its first space station module, with the goal of completing a fully operational space station by 2035. Additionally, missions to the Moon, Venus, and Mars will further advance the country’s capabilities, demonstrating technologies for soft landings and sample return missions that will be crucial for future crewed missions.”

Gopichand Thotakura, Preserve Life said, “The potential of space is still not fully understood, with humanity tapping into only a small fraction of what’s possible. As more people realize the opportunities, space will evolve from just a destination to a platform for innovation, research, and progress. However, the major barrier remains the cost. Without drastic reductions, space will remain an elusive dream. The key to making it sustainable lies in public-private collaborations, much like those seen in defense, where once-impossible feats have been achieved. The day will come when countries like India will build and operate their own rockets, sending astronauts to space for research and advancement.”
BCS Bureau