With the advancements in Space Technology, India has, undoubtedly, come up in the front line of Space Market sharing the key place along with developed countries. In last few decades, the space industry of India has made huge progress in this sector in terms of developing indigenous satellites, enhancing the capabilities of indigenous launch vehicles and offering the launching facilities to other nations to park their satellites into the orbits, and now we have also launched our indigenous Geoportal Bhuvan to evince the Indian Earth Observation Capabilities from Indian Remote Sensing series of satellites. India also plays an active role in international bodies such as UN-COPUS, UN-ESCAP, APRSAF…etc.
Indian space program came into race of space exploration with its first unmanned lunar proble ‘Chandrayaan I’ in 2008, which carried total 11 payloads including 05 Indian and 06 from other countries. The mission has confirmed, with its Moon Mineralogy Mapper, the magma ocean hypothesis that the moon was once completely molten. This was confirmed on 24 September 2009, when Science Magazine reported that Moon Mineralogy Mapper on Chandrayaan I has detected water on the moon. The mission Chandrayaan I was well received and appreciated by the world with many honours and awards (AIAA Space 2009 award by AIAA, International Cooperation Award by ILEWC). According to former ISRO Chairman Dr. G. Madhvan Nair, “The Indian Space Research Organization hopes to land two motorised rovers – one Russian and another Indian – on the Moon in 2013, as a part of its second Chandrayaan mission. The rover will be designed to move on the wheels on the lunar surface, pick up samples of soil or rocks, do on-site chemical analysis and send the data to the mother-spacecraft Chandrayaan II, which will be orbiting above. Chandrayaan II will transmit the data to Earth.”
As India is taking giant steps in growth of space sector, it is also very much important to strengthen the base of the technological advancements, i.e. strengthening R&D work through empowering education in Space Sector. There are a few institutions like Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) and State Universities, who are providing degree course(s) in Aerospace with specialization in propulsion, designing, structure and systems engineering. Recently, in 2007, Department of Space (Govt. of India) has started a specific educational initiative through inaugurating Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology - IIST, (Deemed to be University under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956). IIST is Asia’s first ever Space Institute and the first in the world to offer the complete range of undergraduate, post graduate, doctoral programmes with specific focus to space science, technology and applications.
Today, with making constant growth, India also actively requires to build an innovative space technology system which features the integration of the industry, academia and the research communities. Such integrated system helps to prepare the guidelines to empower research communities and academia as per the requirement of the industry. At private sector, there is a big gap between the needs of the industry and the education providing to the students. Present education system provides knowledge on the basic aspects – which are obviously important, but at the same time, the present education system requires to be updated. Due to lack of a centralized National Space Policy plan, there are few loopholes in the system which creates this gap between the education system and the industry in Space Sector. With a limited number of institutions, providing education in space technology and science, the eagerness of young intellectual minds to know more about space and explore their vision has become very limited, being ignorant of various space applications in daily usage in our life. The global scenario outside India in Space Education is updated regularly and keeps direct link with the industry for better performances. Likewise IIST – which is providing specialized education in space technology, there should be many institutions across the country that can provide specialized education not only in space science & technology, but also related to life science and space law. For upcoming era of human space endeavours, it is very much essential to conduct grass-root studies of human habitation and various effects of gravity variation on living beings. The developed countries have allocated specific budget for such experimental studies in their countries. Being aware of the current priorities of our developing country, it is not possible to spend large amount after such experiments. Hence, it will be very attractive scenario for establishing institution offering educational studies related to life science in space sector. Similarly, to make efficient growth in space sector, it is required to utilize the bunch of young intellectual minds of our country; there is also a need to initiate a separate course on space law discussing policy related issues at regional basis and international basis.
In India, there are a large number of people, who cannot undergo ‘defined academic curriculum’ for enhancing their education in space sector, due to various reasons. Also, there is one more obstacle of the language. The highly technical language – which is being used at the institutional level, cannot be much more effective at local / regional level, where there are enthusiastic intellectuals wanted to know more. For enhancing capacity building, various projects are required to be placed at regional level in terms of seminars, workshops, short courses…etc.
Aryavarta Space Organization (ASO) is registered as Non-Government Organization (India) and Civil Society Organization (International) with a mission to promote research, development and innovation in aerospace technologies, through effective transfer of knowledge and technology for the benefit of the people, in coordination with different domestic and international academic and industrial collaborations.
The activities carried out at ASO include working towards projects, research and its dissemination in organizations and institutions involved in the industry. The major operations are carried out at ASO are research in Science & Technology, Management & Policy Issues, Aeromedicine & Life Science, along with project management, business support, consultancy in aerospace industry and organization challenges and competitions and promotion of the advancement and dissemination of knowledge related to Aerospace Field.
ASO serves as a link between industry, government and academic sectors to promote activities related to research, development and innovation in aerospace studies and technologies, and the promotion of local and international cooperation as well. For empowering education, ASO also do promote the integration of strengths, capabilities and efforts of academy, industry and government sectors in order to ensure the development of space industry in India, ensuring education and capacity building through effective transfer of knowledge and technology, seeking opportunities to develop the industrial capacity in the region through local and international cooperation in order to allow Indian society to participate in global space networks, projects and education programs.
The preliminary objectives of ASO, for the joint ventures with academic partners Faculty of Geomatics & Space Applications, CEPT University (India) and Institute of Law, Nirma University (India) includes promotion of local and international cooperation in order to allow Indian society to participate in global space networks, projects and educational programs. To stimulate the interest of new generations to become involved in space activities, as a pilot phase of education empowerment and capacity building, ASO has launched couple of projects involving launching a short course on Space Law & Policy in near future with academic support of Institute of Law, Nirma University. This project will provide additional advantage to the people who are already into space science & technology to explore their vision with policy related issues in space sector, as well as create an opportunity for the enthusiastic persons to enhance their knowledge in space sector. ASO’s academic connections have created a new platform for the production and dissemination of new space-related educational material.
ASO is just a small initiative, however for giving a new shape to education in space sector and strengthening it, India does require many more industry – academic bonds, creating many opportunities satisfying the hunger of space enthusiastic persons and building the educational capacity, ultimately leading towards the efficient and constant growth of space sector of India.
- Rushi GHADAWALA
President, International Affairs
Aryavarta Space Organization
Contact: info@aryavartaspace.org
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