• NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Space Machines Company, an Australian-Indian in-space servicing firm, have signed a Dedicated Launch Service Agreement.

• This collaboration sets the stage for the launch of Space Machines Company’s second Optimus spacecraft weighing 450kg, the largest Australian-designed and built spacecraft so far. 

• Slated for a Dedicated launch on-board NSIL/ISRO’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) in 2026, this mission will mark a defining moment for both nations in the area of space collaboration.

• This will be the first dedicated commercial launch for SSLV. 

• The first commercial launch was Janus, a 10-kilogramme nanosatellite on board the SSLV-D2 mission.

• This mission, named Space MAITRI (Mission for Australia-India’s Technology, Research and Innovation), marks a significant milestone in the strategic partnership between Australia and India in the space domain, fostering closer ties between commercial, institutional and government space organisations from both nations.

• By focusing on debris management and sustainability, the mission aligns with the core values and objectives of both countries, promoting responsible space operations and mitigating the growing threat of space debris.

• The Australian government is investing in collaborative space projects between Australia and India, strengthening the partnership of our nations and addressing combined challenges like climate change.

NewSpace India Limited

• The NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a central public sector enterprise (CPSE), under the administrative control of the department of space (DOS) was established on March 6, 2019. 

• NSIL is the commercial arm of ISRO with the primary responsibility of enabling Indian industries to take up high technology space related activities.

• It was set up to meet the ever-increasing demands of the Indian space programme and to commercially exploit the emerging global space market. 

• In June 2020, the government enhanced the role and scope of NSIL to encompass more responsibilities in the primary business areas and widen the scope in June 2020.

The revised mandate broadly covers:

i) Owning satellites for earth observation and communication applications.

ii) Providing space-based earth observation and communication services.

iii) Building satellites and launching them as per demand.

iv) Building launch vehicles through Indian industry and launch as per requirements.

v) Providing launch services.

vi) Technology transfer to Indian Industry.

• As part of space sector reforms announced by the government, NSIL was mandated to build, launch, own and operate satellites in “demand-driven mode” for meeting service needs of the user. 

• As part of this, NSIL successfully undertook its first demand-driven satellite mission — GSAT-24 — in June 2022, in which the capacity onboard the satellite was fully secured by M/s TataPlay. 

• GSAT-24 mission was fully funded by NSIL. 

• Presently, NSIL owns and operates 11 communication satellites in orbit.

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