IN-SPACe releases guidelines for implementation of Indian Space Policy 2023

The PSLV -C57 rocket of ISRO which carried the Aditya-L1 spacecraft into space in 2023| Source: ISRO

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) on May 3 released the norms for implementing a part of the Indian Space Policy that was released in 2023. The 147-page document details out the way various players can seek authorisation for taking up space activities.

According to the Indian Space Policy 2023, IN-SPACe will provide authorisations to both government bodies and NGEs for space activities, such as establishment and/or operation of space objects, launch of rockets, establishment of launchpads, planned re-entry of space objects, and so on.

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IN-SPACe said that the NGP (norms, guidelines and procedures) document released on May 3, will complement government endeavour in providing predictable regulatory regime, transparency and ease of doing business in Indian space sector.

The document lists space activities which need autorisation from IN-SPACe, specifies criteria for granting such authorizations and provides necessary guidelines/pre-requisites to be fulfilled by an Applicant for making authorization application to IN-SPACe.

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The document says, "Only an Indian Entity can apply to IN-SPACe seeking Authorization. Non-Indian Entities desiring to conduct Space Activity in India can apply to IN-SPACe for Authorization through an Indian Entity which could be its Indian subsidiary, joint venture or any other collaboration arrangement recognised by the Government of India."

"However, the authorized representative/dealer of non-Indian Entities can seek IN-SPACe Authorization for certain category of Authorizations such as Authorization of non-Indian GSO and/or NGSO satellite/constellation to enable provisioning of its capacity in India for communication services, Dissemination of space-based earth observation/Remote Sensing data, etc," it added.

On April 21, 2023,  Indian government released its much-awaited Indian Space Policy 2023.

The policy specifically lays down the role of several government bodies, such as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Space, apart from specifying the role non-governmental entities (NGEs) — a term for private players in the space sector — will play in India’s space ecosystem.