India in the Second Space Age: SSLV Technology Transfer to the Private Sector
Executive Summary
In continuation of the reforms brought in 2020 to incorporate more private players in the space sector, SSLV technology would be transferred to the Indian private sector entirely.
An Expression of Interest was released to invite applications from private companies in India who fulfil certain preconditions.
After the failure of the first SSLV developmental flight to put satellites into targeted orbits, subsequent SSLV launch was successful in its operational objectives.
India has developed and showcased efficient launch capabilities and can benefit from the growing demands in the global space market.
India is catching up with establishing a domestic industry with an efficient public-private collaboration as articulated in its Space Policy 2023.
Introduction
In its drive to incorporate more private actors in the space sector, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) announced a complete technology transfer of Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLV) to the private sector. Recognising the growing market and the demand for the launch of small satellites, IN-SPACe released an Expression of Interest (EoI) to invite applications from Indian companies. In this regard, a Pre-EoI conference with the tentative date of 02 August 2023 would be held to familiarize industry actors on SSLV and its associated systems enabling them to develop the systems on their own.
With this decision, a private company would receive a manufacturing contract in entirety, unlike the case of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) where a group of private companies was awarded a manufacturing contract. So far, the private actors in India have played a very limited role when compared with other states and this move is likely to bring more companies at the forefront of launch activities simultaneously growing the small satellite launch segments.
There are certain preconditions that the companies need to qualify for under this privatization drive. Primarily, the interested companies should have a turnover of a minimum Rs. 400 crore (48-49 million USD). Furthermore, companies that respond to the EoI should be operational for no less than a period of seven years and have a manufacturing experience of a minimum of five years. This requirement disqualifies any new space-based startup to respond to the EoI as a sole entity given their nascent age.
Pre-privatization SSLV developments
Taking cognizance of the growing market of launch services for smaller satellites, ISRO undertook the development of SSLVs to fulfil the requirements of cost-effective “Launch on Demand”. Manufacturing of these launch vehicles was primarily the responsibility of NewSpace India Ltd. (NSIL) through industry partners. Unlike the PSLVs which take 60 days to assemble, SSLVs can be assembled within 3 days and can therefore be rapidly deployed. Furthermore, the assembling process can be undertaken mostly autonomously and can be completed by a team of a minimum of 6 people.
The first SSLV developmental flight named SSLV-D1 went through a scheduled launch from the First Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on 07 August 2022. The mission was largely unsuccessful as it deviated from its circular orbit and failed to place the EOS-02 and AzaadiSAT satellites into their intended orbits rendering them non-usable. Following the failure of the previous mission, an expert committee was put together to study the shortcomings of the launch vehicles. Subsequently, SSLV-D2, the second developmental flight launched on 10 February 2023 was successful in putting the Janus-1, EOS-07 and AzaadiSAT-2 satellites into the intended 450 km circular orbit within a 15-minute flight time.
With the operational success of SSLV-D2, India acquired a new launch vehicle through commercial means on a demand basis aiming to commercialize launch services of small satellites.
Commercial prospects of SSLVs:
The use of smaller satellites has become popular among companies like HawkEye, Spire Global and Planet Labs whose services include providing real-time data for applications like tracking global shipping routes or monitoring global crop yields. Small satellite applications happen to be beneficial in a variety of fields. Its commercial applications include the Internet of Things (IoT), telecommunications, mapping, internet services etc. Additionally, scientific applications include studies in astronomy, meteorology, agriculture, environmental sciences etc. Furthermore, the security applications include Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), domain awareness, surveillance and monitoring etc. These applications come off as very crucial for states to monitor and secure their national interests.
Geostationary or geosynchronous satellites are traditionally used for providing internet services. Since these satellites are larger in size and are placed in upper orbit, there exists a latency issue due to longer distances. In this regard, smaller satellites placed in the LEO can overcome this problem due to shorter distances making real-time internet services like financial transactions and video conferencing more efficient.
Smaller satellites, by their very nature, are budget-friendly. Since they require fewer materials, it has low environmental impacts. Furthermore, the miniaturization of satellites ensures lower power consumption and encourages rideshare i.e., launching them as secondary payloads. Additionally, due to their shorter development cycles, smaller satellites can go through more frequent updates. These budget-friendly satellites are particularly attractive to private companies who seek to enter the space market which was nearly impossible with the traditionally large satellites. Further, the shorter developmental cycles also allow room for more R&D and experimentation allowing these companies to regularly improve the products and services for their consumers.
Way forward
Indian space activities undertaken solely by ISRO meant that the government was not necessarily looking at this sector from a commercial point of view. However, decisions like the end-to-end transfer of SSLV technology to private actors suggest that the government is taking huge leaps in order to catch up with public-private collaboration that so far has been lacking in India.
Chairman of Antrix, S. Rakesh stated that research entities do not have the edge over manufacturing and therefore space activities require proactive participation and suggestions on manufacturing methods from private actors. He further mentioned that India can benefit from the growing demand in the global space market given that it has developed and showcased significantly efficient launch capabilities. NSIL already has plans in place to increase the number of launches per year stating that it expects to launch 5-7 SSLV launch missions by 2025 which can be further increased to 20 launches within the subsequent year. In this regard, a complete technology transfer of SSLVs to the private sector would be helpful in establishing a vibrant space industry backed by robust public-private collaboration.