Chanakyaa
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International cooperation is a strategic area for a space programme because relationships with other countries are influenced by political, economical, cultural, and human personality factors as well as scientific and technological factors.
- India has always recognised that space has dimension beyond national considerations, which can only be addressed along with international partners.
- Over the years, as ISRO has matured in experience and technological capabilities, the scope for cooperation has become multifaceted.
- While exploratory missions beyond the earth are the natural candidates for such cooperative efforts, there are many other themes like climate change on earth that are of interest to international cooperation because of their global impact.
ISRO has the benefit of International cooperation since inception. Establishment of Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), conduct of Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) and Satellite Telecommunication Experiment Project (STEP), launches of Aryabhata, Bhaskara, Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment (APPLE), IRS-IA, IRS-IB satellites, INSAT series of satellites, Mission to Moon, Human Space flight Programme Initiatives, etc., have the components of international cooperation.
Having realised that International Cooperation has a greater role to play in space-related advances, ISRO has shown keen interest in pursuing bilateral and multilateral relations with space agencies and space related bodies with the aim of building and strengthening existing ties between countries; taking up new scientific and technological challenges; refining space policies and defining international frameworks for exploitation and utilisation of outer space for peaceful purposes.
Internationally India is viewed by space faring nations as an emerging space power capable of achieving its goals in a more cost effective and time-efficient manner. Specifically the developing countries look to India for assistance in building up their capabilities to derive benefits of space technology. The scope of international cooperation has become wider and diverse, as ISRO has made tremendous progress in recent time.
Formal cooperative arrangements in the form of either Agreements or Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) or Framework Agreements have been signed with Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), European Space Agency (ESA), France, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mauritius, Mongolia, Myanmar, Norway, Peru, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Syria, Thailand, The Netherlands, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States of America and Venezuela.
UNITED STATES
ISROs maiden mission to Moon, the Chandrayaan-1, has been an exemplary example of international cooperation with its international payloads. Though the mission served for less than a year, it has achieved its mission objective to the satisfaction of global scientific community. It has also earned several national and international laurels and was instrumental in the ISRO-NASA joint discovery of water molecules on the moon surface, unattained by any of the previous missions of such nature.
RUSSIA
Follow-on mission, Chandrayaan-2 will be jointly developed with Russia and will have an Indian orbiter ,Russian lander, Russian rover and Indian mini-rover. There would also be opportunities for scientific instruments from other countries in Chandrayaan-2 mission.
UNITED STATES ( NASA )
The recently launched OCEANSAT-2 carried an atmospheric sounder called Radio Occultation Sounder for Atmospheric Studies (ROSA) from Italy apart from the main payloads, namely, Ocean Colour Monitor and Scatterometer. The data from this satellite is highly sought of by international scientific community and in this respect, a letter of intent on cooperation in OCEANSAT-2 data has been signed with National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
FRANCE
The Indo-French joint satellite mission called MEGHA-TROPIQUES for the study of the tropical atmosphere and climate related to aspects such as monsoons, cyclones, etc., is making steady progress. The major instrument on the satellite called MADRAS is being jointly developed by ISRO and CNES, and two other instruments called SCARAB and SAPHIR will be provided by CNES. An atmospheric sounder called ROSA from Italy, similar to the one in OCEANSAT-2 will also be flown in MEGHA-TROPIQUES. ISRO will use the well-proven IRS satellite bus, provide a PSLV launch in end 2010, operate the satellite, collect and distribute the data.
Another joint mission with France, named SARAL (Satellite for ALTIKA and ARGOS) for studying ocean from space using altimetry is also progressing well. CNES provides a radar altimeter instrument called ALTIKA and an onboard relay instrument for the international ARGOS data collection system, while, ISRO provides the satellite platform, launch and operations.
Considering the strong global demand for data from MEGHA-TROPIQUES, ISRO, CNES and NASA have agreed to integrate this satellite into Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) constellation of satellites. With this, MEGHA-TROPIQUES will be one of the eight satellites contributing to the global scientific community to study and understand the dynamics of climate system.
CANADA
ISRO and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) are working on the development of the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) planned on ISROs multi wavelength astronomy satellite ASTROSAT.
UNITED NATIONS
India continues to play active role in deliberation on Scientific and Technical and Legal sub-committees of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN-COPUOS).
India also plays major role in other multilateral fora including United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP), International COSPAS-SARSAT system for search and rescue operations, International Astronautical Federation (IAF), International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), International Institute of Space Law (IISL), Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), Inter Agency Debris Coordination Committee (IADC), Space Frequency Coordination Group (SFCG), Coordinating Group on Meteorological Satellites (CGMS), International Global Observing Strategy (IGOS), International Space University (ISU), Asian Association for Remote Sensing (AARS), International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS), etc.
Internationally, ISRO plays active role in sharing its expertise and satellite data for the management of natural disasters through various multi-agency bodies like International Charter for Space and Major Disasters, Sentinel Asia and UNSPIDER.
Sharing of Experience in Space (SHARES) is a scheme initiated by ISRO under which training in different applications of space technology is being provided to scientists from other developing countries.
The Centre for Space Science and Technology Education for Asia and the Pacific (CSSTE-AP) has been set up in India under the initiative of the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UN OOSA) and offers nine month post graduate diploma courses in Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (every year starting in July), Satellite Communication (every alternate year starting in August), Satellite Meteorology and Global Climate (every alternate year starting in August) and Space and Atmospheric Science (every alternate year starting in August).
After completion of the course, students have opportunity to carry out research in their own country for one year leading finally to the award of a Masters Degree from Andhra University. In addition to major financial support from the Department of Space (DOS), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) under the Technical Cooperation Scheme (TCS) of Colombo Plan and a few international agencies like UNESCAP and UNOOSA provide support for students participating in CSSTE-AP courses.
