US helping India become global space power

[Neo]

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

US helping India become global space power

By Khalid Hasan

WASHINGTON: India is said to be ramping up its space capabilities in an effort to be seen as a major global space power. It is moving beyond its traditional missions of developing communications and remote sensing satellites to focus on new areas, such as navigation, while also working on its first mission to the Moon, perhaps by the end of the next decade, according to a published report.

The Space Review, a US publication, in an article by Jeff Foust said that India had attracted the attention of the United States as a potential partner in space endeavours. India’s space programme is branching out into new fields, including satellite navigation and space science. India has also recently indicated that it is revisiting its previous opposition to a human space flight programme, and is already taking steps towards developing the technology needed for such missions. These developments all provide a new opportunity for cooperation for the US, with far less geopolitical baggage for America than dealing with China or even Russia.

Foust writes that India’s space programme goes back 40 years. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been devoted for most of its history to efforts with primarily practical applications, rather than for national prestige. Now, though, as India has built up its domestic space infrastructure, the government has shown a willingness to move beyond communications and remote sensing applications. While India is a partner in Europe’s Galileo satellite navigation system currently under development, and has agreed to work with Russia to repopulate its GLONASS navigation system, ISRO announced earlier this year plans to develop its own regional satellite navigation system, building the satellites, ground stations, and receivers all within India.

According to the article, India is also looking at applications that, unlike navigation, communications, or remote sensing, don’t have an obvious practical role in aiding the country’s development. ISRO is developing its first planetary science mission, the Chandrayaan-1 lunar orbiter, scheduled for launch in early 2008. That spacecraft is not intended to be a one-time mission, as the “1” designation after its name suggests: other science missions to the Moon and even Mars are in the early planning stages. While the initial focus of India’s manned space programme is on an orbital flight, similar to China’s Shenzhou spacecraft, the country’s scientists have ambitious plans.

The author believes that this change in both Indian ambitions and capabilities should open up new opportunities for cooperation with the US. In fact, such cooperation is already taking place. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, relations between the US and India have improved considerably. In the space programme, one area of interest has been in navigation, including making sure any Indian satellite navigation system is interoperable with the US GPS system. A US company, Raytheon, is already working with India to develop a terrestrial GPS augmentation system for aviation applications that is analogous to similar systems in the US, Europe, and Japan.

The article says that the US is also in the process of negotiating a commercial space launch agreement with India that would allow US satellites to be launched on Indian vehicles. These negotiations, says a US official, “hopefully will be reaching a critical stage in the near future”. A separate agreement being negotiated by the State Department to cover the handing of sensitive American technologies on such spacecraft; that effort “has gone very well and is relatively close to conclusion,” he said. While there are still many hurdles ahead for US-India space cooperation, such as the current restrictive export control regime in the US, many in both countries see signs of more positive developments, particularly as India’s space capabilities become more sophisticated. While some have criticised India for devoting as many resources as it has to its space programme, according to former US ambassador Teresita Schaffer such efforts in both the US and India are not out of line, given the deep pools of technical talent in both countries.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2006\12\20\story_20-12-2006_pg7_9

 

[Bull]

The article doesnt state how US is helping India?

it merely states that US wants to ally with india bcoz it has decided to move out of "traditional space endevours" so that the space navigation system can be inter-compaitble etc etc.

Am i right, Neo?

 

[Neo]

USA has already been helping India with her space ambitions, cooperation between the two contries goes back to the early days of Indian Space Programme.

USA's NASA trained Abdul Kalam and even provided designs for first Indian SLV.

Imho now the new alliance is in the making, joint efforts will be stepped up and US private companies would be allowed to invest in ISRO.

 

[joey]

lol neo your sure your without Rum
US helped India with SLV? LOL
SLV WAS FIRST DONE ON BYYCLE AND HAD EUROPEAN START.

Last time i checked USA SANCTIONED ISRO FOR EVERYTHING.

1. STOPPED OUR CRYOGENIC ACCESS TO RUSSIAN ENGINES WHICH WE DEVELOPED, CHINA HAD ACCESS TO RUSSIAN TECH HUGELY AS THEY ARE UNDER P5 (SEC COUNCIL).

2. US STOPPED US ACCESS TO SUPER COMPUTER WE NEEDED IT FOR CALCULATIONS WE DEVELOPED OUR OWN PARAKRAM.


geez........It was
That article is rubbish when it talks about US help in Space.
ISRO was blacklisted till 2004!!
They thought we are making ICBM.

Neo brother please read kalams OWN BOOK "WINGS OF FIRE" YOU WILL KNOW HOW MUCH INDIAN IS ISRO.

The whole IRS is indigenous system As we have "full stereo pictures" while West claims theirs to be Pseudo Stereo.

There is no Help in vehicle designning and noone helps in it, its as simple as that why? because countries EARN through it by launching other satellites!!

The article says that the US is also in the process of negotiating a commercial space launch agreement with India that would allow US satellites to be launched on Indian vehicles. These negotiations, says a US official, “hopefully will be reaching a critical stage in the near future”. A separate agreement being negotiated by the State Department to cover the handing of sensitive American technologies on such spacecraft; that effort “has gone very well and is relatively close to conclusion,” he said. While there are still many hurdles ahead for US-India space cooperation, such as the current restrictive export control regime in the US, many in both countries see signs of more positive developments, particularly as India’s space capabilities become more sophisticated. While some have criticised India for devoting as many resources as it has to its space programme, according to former US ambassador Teresita Schaffer such efforts in both the US and India are not out of line, given the deep pools of technical talent in both countries.

somewhat True but we have NO MAJOR space projects with NASA.
Only some payload etc etc..

We do have major MOU with France and Russia Specially.
Its total BS when articles such as this comes.

The whole mars mission will be done after construction of deep space network which is being done with 32 inch antennas developed here...

you can ask me anything about space........when ISRO is involved.

 

[joey]

IMHO I've realized the Article is correctly written!!

but title is COMPLETELY misleading!!

US helping India become global space power

BS!

IT SHOULD BE,

US OUTSOURCING SATELLITE LAUNCHES FROM ISRO'S VEHICLE FOR CHEAP COSTS.

 

[digitaltiger]

India is not begging for any funds from USA like Pakistan....

Devil 007 bro I appreciate ur nationalism but your comment was completely unnecessary and unwanted.A very healthy discussion is going on and your comment spoiled many moods. Hope you don’t take me wrong and stick to topic .

 

[digitaltiger]

I agree with Joey, US hardly helped India's space ambitions fearing possible missile programme and involvement of Russia. But Yes Russia was always there and helped India to provide tech stuff. It was the Vision of Dr Vikram Sarabhai and other scientist's who helped us to live our dream.

 

[Arun tevar]

I wonder why do our pak bro have to choose such a title which itself contradicts the article posted.

 

[xebex]

India came a long way itself. if there was a help that was Soviet/Russia. However we had US and European payloads in Chandrayaan 1 but that doesnt have anything to do with "Helping India" ,as the data from those payloads were shared- Afterall the sanctions we went through!

 

[Razzaq]

Devil 007 bro I appreciate ur nationalism but your comment was completely unnecessary and unwanted.A very healthy discussion is going on and your comment spoiled many moods. Hope you don’t take me wrong and stick to topic .

You are right.

That's the first post of an indian with bad impression.

 

[Arun tevar]

Mean while the star sensor of chandrayan 1 has failed and its navigational and positional reqs. R being met with other 2 sensors on board as substitution with minor loss of accuracy as it has to depend on the readings and signals of the rotating moon rather than a fixed cellestial body.The orbital height has been increased to 200km to scale down the precision req. This will cover a larger surface area of the moon but will compramise the clarity & precision.

 

[AirforcePilot]

I agree with Joey, US hardly helped India's space ambitions fearing possible missile programme and involvement of Russia. But Yes Russia was always there and helped India to provide tech stuff. It was the Vision of Dr Vikram Sarabhai and other scientist's who helped us to live our dream.

Absolutely false...

NASA has worked with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) since it was founded in the Sixties. In the early days, NASA helped ISRO get started by providing it with sounding rockets, satellite launches, and the use of space-based resources like Landsat. ISRO launched its first satellite in 1980. ISRO has gone on to provide India with weather satellites, communications satellites, and Earth resource satellites. ISRO also launches satellites for other countries. Today, NASA and ISRO routinely share data from each other's satellites and fly instruments on each other's missions, including Chandrayaan-1, India's first lunar probe. On Feb. 1, 2008, NASA and ISRO signed a framework agreement in which they would continue to work together in all avenues of space exploration, including manned spaceflight.

 

[Arun tevar]

Chandrayan2 has already been santioned and will have its flight by 2013,that would place roovers on the surface of the moon.These roovers would be built with assistance from russia to fulfill the different aspects of the project and to send a maned space mission& moon mission by 2020-25

 

[Screaming Skull]

Absolutely false...

NASA has worked with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) since it was founded in the Sixties. In the early days, NASA helped ISRO get started by providing it with sounding rockets, satellite launches, and the use of space-based resources like Landsat.

You call that help? NASA was ‘selling’ sounding rockets to several countries when India bought them from the US. It was never a restricted technology at that time. It was merely a commercial deal where ready to use sounding rockets were sold, without the technology!

As for satellite launches, France and Russia too have launched Indian sats. Launching a sat too is a commercial deal, where we pay you for our payload. How has launching of our sats from your launchers helped us in any way in developing any new space technologies?

We use several of your space assets like Landsat and NAVSTAR constellation for GPS, as do many other countries including Pakistan and China on payment. But, again I have the same question for you- how has that helped us in developing any new space technologies?

ISRO launched its first satellite in 1980. ISRO has gone on to provide India with weather satellites, communications satellites, and Earth resource satellites. ISRO also launches satellites for other countries.

Can’t see any US help there?

Today, NASA and ISRO routinely share data from each other's satellites and fly instruments on each other's missions, including Chandrayaan-1, India's first lunar probe.

Sharing of data does not help develop space tech as I pointed out before! As for flying instruments, US sent few instruments piggyback on Indian Chandrayaan-1 to save costs and additional burdens of an own mission! No Indian instruments have ever gone piggyback on any NASA missions. So, in essence as far as mutual help count goes, we are one up!

On Feb. 1, 2008, NASA and ISRO signed a framework agreement in which they would continue to work together in all avenues of space exploration, including manned spaceflight.

Are you privy to the details of the agreement? Does, it say anywhere, that NASA will help ISRO develop certain technologies for space exploration and manned mission? As far as I know, NASA won’t even train Indian astronauts for a manned flight nor will it help us develop cosmonaut suits let alone any other complicated launch and navigation techs! Moreover, “continue to work together” does not mean US help to India!

In essence, the US has not helped ISRO in any way to develop any space technology! If anything, they have always tried their best to impede our space program at every juncture and create unnecessary hurdles in our path. For, example when India wanted to build a fully indigenous geo-stationary launcher in the early 90s, we sought cryogenic engine technology from Russia. They agreed to transfer the complete cryogenic tech to us before US interfered and prohibited Russia from doing so. India then bought 5 cryos from Russia under the watchful eyes of the US. The US resistance was so strong that, even to this day they keep an account of those five cryos. India is not even allowed to open up any of those cryos or tweak with them for reverse engineering and US will not rest until all 5 are used up for launches. The net result of this action of the US was that, India has only now mastered the cryo tech. We will be launching our GSLV with an indigenous cryo only this year, when we could have had that tech way back in the early 90s, essentially delaying the development by over 15 years!

 

[Cheetah786]

India is not begging for any funds from USA like Pakistan....

i Guess this is what they teach them in Indian retard schools welcome but this is a forum for people with intelligence you obviously lost.