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ISRO taking off

July 6, 2017 | Expert Insights

During Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s historic trip to Israel, seven agreements were signed to increase cooperation in various fields including agriculture and water management.

Three of those deals focused on furthering current space collaboration between the two nations.

Background

Headquartered in the city of Bengaluru in India, ISRO has become one of the most reliable space agencies in the world. Along with its commercial arm, Antrix, it seems to be currently growing from strength to strength – something the international community, including Israel has noticed.

Formed in 1969, ISRO began building India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, which was successfully launched into space by Soviet Union in April 19, 1975. Soon, other pursuits followed. From 1999 to June 2017, ISRO has successfully launched 209 satellites from 28 countries.

Israel has partnered with ISRO for many years. In 2003, ISRO and Israel Space Agency (ISA) signed an MoU that would launch one of Israel’s scientific instrument. Additionally, India’s radar reconnaissance satellite, RISAT-2 (Radar Imaging Satellite 2), was built by Israel Aerospace Industries and launched aboard a PSLV-CA rocket on April 20, 2009.

Most recently, in January 2017, ISRO made history by launching a record 104 satellites in single mission (the previous record was held by Russia for launching 37 satellites). While 96 of those satellites belonged to the United States, there was one from Israel too. 

Analysis

In December 2016, Avi Blasberger, director, Israel Space Agency (ISA) in an interview with Times of India, said that Israel was looking to India for collaborations in key space technologies. He said that included earth observation, communication and rocket propulsion.

India is able to launch satellites at a much lower cost. Commenting on Modi’s visit in 2017, Blasberger once again spoke about ISRO stating, “Indian launchers are first of all available and then they are very reliable.”

Assessment

Our assessment is that this is a clear indication that India is now able to offer technology to countries that are themselves technologically advanced. It also marks how the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has become a trusted name in the world of space technology. India now has a clear deliverable to offer the global community.