Introduction

Space for National Development

Space activities in India started in the sixties with the establishment of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station. The efforts were consolidated with the formation of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1969. The space programme got further fillip in June 1972, when the Government of India constituted the Space Commission and established the Department of Space (DOS). ISRO was also brought under the newly formed DOS in September 1972. The primary objective of the Indian space programme is to achieve self-reliance in space technology and evolve application programmes to meet the national developmental needs.

Over the last three decades, the space programme has taken important strides in meeting its objective. Two major operational space systems have been established - the Indian National Satellite (INSAT) for telecommunication, television broadcasting and meteorological services and the Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) system for resources monitoring and management. Two satellite launch vehicles, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) primarily for launching remote sensing satellites into polar orbits and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) for launching communication and meteorological satellites into 36,000 km high Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), have been operationalised. Space application programmes with the participation of user agencies have enabled the benefits of the space programme to reach the grassroots level society. Research in space science has contributed towards increased knowledge and understanding of several scientific phenomena. The capabilities built under the space programme are used for commercial gains through international marketing of space hardware and services.

Achievements During 2004-05

The Indian space programme continued to take further strides during the year in enhancing the technological capabilities, deploying operational space systems and taking new initiatives in implementing space applications programmes to benefit the nation.

Launch of GSLV-F01 _ Heralding the Operational Era of GSLV

The success of the first operational flight of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLV-F01, conducted from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR), Sriharikota on September 20, 2004 is an important landmark. GSLV placed the EDUSAT satellite precisely into the predetermined GTO. Coming after the success of both the developmental test flights, this success has unequivocally demonstrated the reliability of GSLV and its capability to place 2000 kg class satellites into GTO.

The cryogenic engine for the indigenous upper stage of GSLV has been successfully qualified and the stage development made substantial progress during the year. The indigenous cryogenic stage will enable GSLV to launch 2,500 kg class of satellites into GTO. Development of GSLV Mk III, which will have capability to launch 4 tonne class of satellites into GTO, has also progressed well with the completion of preliminary design review and generation of specifications for major hardware during the year.

PSLV _ Getting Ready for Ninth Flight

India's workhorse launcher, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), is in its final stages of readiness for its ninth flight in the first half of 2005. It will launch a remote sensing satellite for cartographic applications, CARTOSAT-1, and a small satellite, HAMSAT, as piggyback. Preparations are underway on PSLV configuration to launch the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft.

Space-capsule Recovery Experiment _ Proving the Concepts for the Future

Three airdrop tests of the instrumented Space-capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE) were successfully conducted from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota during the year, marking a major milestone towards its launch by PSLV along with CARTOSAT-2 during 2005-06. The 500 kg SRE is intended to demonstrate the capability to recover an orbiting space capsule. The experiment envisages the development of a recoverable capsule and associated technologies as well as conduct micro-gravity experiments in space.

Second Launch Pad at SDSC SHAR _ State-of-the-art Infrastructure

The Second Launch Pad (SLP) has been established at SDSC SHAR. It will help in increasing the frequency of launches. The state-of-the-art facility will considerably reduce the occupancy time for the integration of launch vehicle as well as meets the requirements of advanced launch vehicles like GSLV-Mk III. PSLV-C6 with CARTOSAT-1 on board will be the maiden launch from SLP.

EDUSAT _ Reiterating Societal Relevance

EDUSAT, launched by GSLV-F01, is India's first thematic satellite dedicated exclusively for educational services. It is specially configured to create interactive classrooms through relay of audio-visual medium employing multi-media multi-centric system. The satellite will have multiple regional beams covering different parts of India — five Ku-band transponders with spot beams covering northern, north-eastern, eastern, southern and western regions of the country, a Ku-band transponder with its footprint covering the Indian mainland region and six C-band transponders with their footprints covering the entire country.

To ensure effective utilisation of EDUSAT, pilot projects have already been undertaken in Karnataka, Maharastra and Madhya Pradesh using the existing INSAT. Five conferences have been organised at regional and national levels to create awareness about the EDUSAT capabilities.

INSAT System _ Increasing Capacity

With the launch of EDUSAT, the INSAT system capacity has increased to 150 transponders in various frequency bands besides meteorological instruments. INSAT is already one of the largest domestic communication satellite systems in the Asia-Pacific region.

INSAT-4A, the first satellite in the fourth generation INSAT-4 series, is in its final stages of integration and testing. It is planned for launch in first half of 2005. Carrying 12 C-band and 12 Ku-band high-power transponders, INSAT-4A will cater to Direct-To-Home television broadcast services. A similar satellite, INSAT-4B, is planned for launch during 2005-06. This will be followed by INSAT-4C,carrying 12 high power Ku-band transponders. Design and development of the follow-on satellites to augment the INSAT capacity is progressing well.

IRS System _ Sustaining Leadership

The Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) system has the largest constellation of six satellites providing data in a variety of spatial and spectral resolutions. RESOURCESAT-1, launched in October 2003, has substantially enhanced the remote sensing capability giving further fillip for application of remote sensing in natural resources management. International ground stations have also started receiving data from this satellite under commercial arrangements. The leadership that India has established in the field will be sustained with the launch of follow-on satellites in the IRS series. CARTOSAT-1, with capability to provide high-resolution imageries for cadastral level mapping and updating, land-use and other Geographical Information System applications is in its final stages of preparation for launch by PSLV in the first half of 2005. A Radar Imaging Satellite, RISAT-1, which will have all weather and day-night observation capability, is under development.

Satellite-based Village Resource Centres _ Empowering the Rural Society

The setting up of the first cluster of Village Resource Centres (VRCs) in October 2004, is an important new initiative to integrate the capabilities of communications and earth observations satellites to provide a variety of information emanating from the space systems and other IT tools to address the changing and critical needs of rural communities. The VRC is a totally interactive VSAT based network. Space enabled information will include land and water resources, rural employment, watershed, environment, infrastructure, agriculture, etc. By blending the information derived from earth observation satellites with ground derived and weather related information, locale-specific community advisory services are provided. VRCs will also provide services like tele-education, telemedicine, online decision support, interactive farmers' advisory, tele-fishery, e-governance, weather and water management.

Telemedicine _ Expanding Healthcare Network

The telemedicine network of ISRO that was started in 2001 for extending expert medical consultation to remote and rural area population has expanded substantially during the year. The network now covers 100 hospitals _ 78 remote rural hospitals and 22 super specialty hospitals in major cities. More than 25,000 patients have availed the benefit of telemedicine so far.

Disaster Mitigation _ Deploying Space Resources

Disaster Management Support System (DMS) of DOS continued to address vital requirements of disaster management through use of remote sensing and communication satellite capabilities, creation of digital database, hazard zonation, damage assessment, monitoring of major natural disasters using satellite and aerial data, acquisition of close contour data using Air-borne Laser Terrain Mapper, strengthening the communication back-bone for timely dissemination of information and emergency support, development of Air-borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) and R & D support for improved warnings, etc.

While a space based system cannot detect and predict natural calamities like earthquake and its after-effects like tsunami, in the aftermath of the tsunami that struck India in December 2004, DOS put into operation all its resources for disaster mitigation. It provided VSATs operating through INSAT-2E, Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) phones and INMARSAT telephones to augment the telecommunications links in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. VSAT based video conferencing facilities were set-up to connect remote taluks. Telemedicine facilities were in operation at Port Blair and Car Nicobar to enable local doctors to consult specialty hospitals in major cities on the mainland. Data from IRS satellites and aerial surveys helped in assessing damages and support mitigation efforts. DOS also supported disaster management efforts by providing emergency communications through INSAT as well as survey and monitoring of disaster-prone/affected areas using IRS system during floods.

A Decision Support Centre (DSC) is being established at NRSA, Hyderabad as a single-window service provider. DSC will be networked with the National Emergency Operation Centre at Ministtry of Home Affairs and the State Emergency Operation Centres and knowledge institutions such as IMD, DOD, NCMRWF, GSI, etc.

Space Sciences _ Advancing Knowledge

The approval of the scientific satellite mission, ASTROSAT, during the year has provided fillip to advancement in astronomical research in the country. ASTROSAT will help in multi-wavelength studies of a variety of celestial sources and phenomena using a cluster of X-ray astronomy instruments and Ultraviolet (UV) imaging telescope. The mission is conceived as a national project involving many academic institutions. The launch is planned in 2007-08.

Meanwhile, significant progress has been made towards the first Indian scientific mission to moon, Chandrayaan-1, planned by 2007-08. The spacecraft configuration has been finalised. An announcement of opportunity was made during the year to fly scientific payloads from the international scientific community on board Chandrayaan-1 in addition to the Indian payloads. Out of the 30 proposals received, four proposals have already been short listed for inclusion in Chandrayan-1. The land for establishing the Deep Space Tracking Network Station has also been identified and acquisition process initiated. India hosted the Sixth International Lunar Conference at Udaipur that discussed current results on lunar science, questions regarding its origin and resources, future prospects of creating a lunar base for planetary exploration and possible human settlement.

Organisation of a month-long campaign on atmospheric aerosols in February and December 2004 along the road corridors as part of Geosphere-Biosphere Programme has helped to obtain a better insight about the properties and composition of aerosols and their distribution across various latitudes.

International Cooperation _ Expanding Horizons

The India-US Conference on Space Science, Applications and Commerce, held at Bangalore during June 2004 was an important landmark to strengthen and expand cooperation in the field of space science and applications as well as related commercial activity. The topics discussed included earth observation, satellite communications and applications, satellite navigation and applications, space science, natural hazards research and disaster as well as space commerce. The conference culminated in a vision statement for enhanced cooperation between the two countries. The Tenth Session of the Intergovernmental Consultative Committee (ICC) on

Regional Space Applications Programme (RESAP) was organised jointly with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN- ESCAP) at Bangalore in October 2004.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the French space agency, CNES, in November 2004 to proceed with the development and implementation of the joint atmospheric satellite mission, Megha-Tropiques. A new umbrella agreement on cooperation in space and an agreement on cooperation in the joint development, operation and utilisation of the Russian satellite navigation system, GLONASS, were signed between the Governments of India and Russia in December 2004. Discussions have also been held with the Italian Space Agency during the year to identify possibilities of joint activities including flying an Italian satellite on PSLV and other scientific collaborations.

Academia Interaction

DOS continued to pursue research in the academic environment through sponsoring research relevant to the space programme. During the year, 10 projects were successfully completed and as many as 40 new projects were initiated involving 27 institutions. The scientists of DOS Centres review the projects to ensure their success and their application in the space programme.

Space-Industry and Commerce

The space industry partnership continues to contribute significantly to the success of the Indian space programme. During the year, know-how for seven technologies developed under the space programme were transferred to industries for commercialisation.

The total number of technologies transferred to industries so far is 268. Five patents were granted to DOS during the year including two international patents. The patent portfolio now includes 150 patents, 10 trademarks and 13 copyrights.

Significant progress was achieved in the commercial marketing of space hardware and services. Antrix, the commercial front of DOS, is poised to realise 66 per cent growth in its revenue. Global marketing of IRS data is being pursued further and data from the RESOURCESAT-1 is already being received worldwide. Agreements have been signed for the launch of a German satellite, Italian AGILE, and an Indonesian satellite LAPAN-TUBSAT, both on board PSLV. The lease of INSAT transponders has registered a substantial growth of 64 percent in revenues. A joint venture agreement signed during the year by Antrix with MEASAT international of Malaysia is expected to provide commercial satellite services across the entire Asia-Pacific region using the INSAT and MEASAT system.

Public Outreach

DOS continued to receive the attention of the national and international media. Several exhibitions, both national and international, were organised to showcase India's success in its space programme. The Vigyan Rail, which includes one full coach on the space programme, has visited several towns and cities in the country. An international aviation and space technology magazine published from the US has described the Indian space programme as the most prolific in its cover story.

Conclusion

The first operational flight of GSLV has demonstrated its capability and reliability. The launch of the first thematic satellite, EDUSAT and initiation of Village Resource Centres have reiterated India's commitment to use space technology for societal benefits. The approval of ASTROSAT mission as well as the significant progress made in India's first scientific mission Chandrayaan-1 show the urge to broaden the scientific knowledge. The increasing commercial benefits in the international space market as well as the India-US conference during the year indicate the international recognition for the

Indian space programme. Agreements with Russia, France and Italy indicate the increasing level of international cooperation. Thus, India has continued to take substantial strides in its space programme during the year. With the planned launches of follow-on satellites in INSAT and IRS series and the significant progress made in GSLV Mk-III show that the Indian space programme is poised to achieve self-reliance in space technology and to grow even further to play an important role in meeting the national developmental needs.