By Bikram Vohra
Recent initiatives in space exploration have given India the potential for active participation sooner than later in the current crewed spacecraft programs not just at home but also in the global arena. The successful tests on Agni V have proven India’s capabilities in space vehicular control and the first nation to land a lunar explorer on the south side of the moon is now beyond baby steps in the search for the bounty of outer space…
Currently, much attention is being given to the reawakening of manned flights becoming a sort of regular feature.
Boeing and NASA are collaborating on the development of crewed missions, aimed at ferrying astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). The CST-100 Starliner, Boeing’s spacecraft, is specifically engineered to transport astronauts to low-Earth orbit and back. A significant phase in this endeavor is the Crew Flight Test (CFT), which serves to showcase the spacecraft’s capabilities in crewed scenarios as part of NASA’s certification process. We can see this as a fast-forward of the old Space Shuttle program. That was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which accomplished routine transportation for Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo from 1981 to 2011.
The upcoming Crew Flight Test marks a pivotal moment in the Commercial Crew program, particularly for Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Boeing is meticulously collaborating with NASA to ensure that the Starliner complies with all safety standards and is operationally sound for crewed ventures. It cannot afford any technical hitch so everything is being triple-checked.
Engineered for the secure and dependable transportation of astronauts to the ISS, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner boasts cutting-edge technologies and systems to guarantee the crew’s safety and comfort during their space voyages, whether computer-controlled or with manual backup.
India currently does not have a direct role in the crewed flight test program involving Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft and NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Nor, to be brutally honest, is there any invitation in the offing. The development and operation of crewed spacecraft, including those designed to transport astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), are primarily led by space agencies like NASA, Roscosmos (Russia), ESA (Europe), and private aerospace companies such as SpaceX and Boeing.
So why not India in the near future? It is not just because Boeing has focused attention on India with a certain gravitas in its long-term intent but because India has shown a great capability to go it alone. And its domestic genius will be closely watched stateside.
India’s participation in international ventures such as the International Space Station (ISS) program could also lay the foundation for potential collaborations with Boeing and NASA in crewed space missions.
Through the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), India has been actively participating in space exploration endeavors, showcasing a growing interest and capability in the field. While direct collaborations with Boeing and NASA in crewed space missions have not yet materialized, there are promising opportunities for potential future partnerships in space sagas. One can go as far as to say that the present Indian government is led by a space aficionado Narendra Modi personally getting involved in India’s missions.
This interest is tangible. India is in the process of developing its own crewed space mission program known as Gaganyaan, with the objective of launching Indian astronauts into space aboard an indigenous spacecraft. The Gaganyaan mission serves as a platform for India to gain expertise in crewed spaceflight and opens avenues for future collaboration with esteemed partners like Boeing and NASA. They will be reading lines from the same page. A manned flight at the end of the year after three trial unmanned runs are on the cards.
India has also demonstrated remarkable progress in space technology, evidenced by successful satellite launches, lunar and Mars missions, and the indigenous development of launch vehicles. This technological prowess can be leveraged in potential collaborations with Boeing and NASA for enhancing capabilities in crewed space missions.
ISRO has achieved milestones such as launching satellites, missions to the Moon (Chandrayaan) and Mars (Mangalyaan), and, of course, developing its own crewed space mission program. Gaganyaan, a 1.3 billion dollar project is set to travel 200-400 km above Earth in low earth orbit for 3-7 days. The spacecraft has provision for a 3-4 member crew. Post the Gaganyaan flights, India has ambitious long-term goals including the development of the space station and mounting bigger missions to the Moon. The country’s growing expertise in space technology and ambitions for crewed space missions could potentially lead to collaborations or partnerships in the future, maybe even with entities beyond Boeing and NASA. As the commercial aspect of space travel moves from the pages of Marvel comics to reality the options will intensify exponentially. International cooperation in space exploration has already become increasingly common, with countries working together on various projects to advance scientific research and expand human presence in space. And this is just the beginning.
Both Boeing and NASA have a proven track record of engaging in collaborative initiatives with international counterparts in various space missions and are likely to make the first bid. NASA, especially, has a rich history of partnership with global space agencies. India’s participation in multiple high-profile international ventures such as the International Space Station (ISS) program could lay the foundation for potential collaborations with Boeing and NASA in crewed space missions. But much will depend on the credibility factor after assessing the level of success the 2024 initiatives attain when the manned crew reaches ISS and returns.
Our vibrant program which started with Rakesh Sharma aboard Soyuz T11 in 1984 and matured recently has announced four astronauts or Gaganauts who have been named for crewed flights. They are Group Captains Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla who all successfully completed their training at the National Defence Academy (NDA) between 1997 and 2005.Three astronauts – Kalpana Chawla, Sunita Williams and Raja Chari flew as NASA astronauts. Sirisha Bandla is the first and only Indian-born woman to make a suborbital flight, which she did on Virgin Galactic Unity 22 on July 11, 2021.
India has the credentials and the technical savvy. Her scientists and engineers are globally recognised and Indian brain power is a strong flex across the globe.
Once the Gaganyaan project is seen as a success there will be a call for collaboration and India will reach for the sky and touch it.
Bikram Vohra is the Consulting Editor of Indian Aerospace & Defence.
