Letter sent after GSLV launch: ISRO staff question trajectory of space privatisation, want chief to clarify

Employee associations within the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have penned a letter to ISRO chairperson V Narayanan, expressing concerns over the agency's growing involvement in privatized space activities. The letter was dispatched the day after a successful launch of an earth observation satellite using a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).

The controversy stems from remarks made by Pawan Goenka, the chairperson of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), during a Business Today event on August 21. Goenka stated that ISRO would eventually cease manufacturing launch vehicles and focus predominantly on special-purpose satellites for scientific research and technology development.

Employee associations argue that these remarks lack any subsequent official communications outlining the policy, its legal foundation, timeline, or impact on current staff and future hiring. In their letter, representatives from various ISRO centers question whether Goenka's statements constitute an officially approved decision by the government, space commission, or the Department of Space.

The letter raises several specific issues: the future role and structure of ISRO, the potential exclusion of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) from manufacturing work, safeguards for existing employees, and the need for employee associations to be consulted before any irreversible decisions affecting the agency's structure or staffing.

The employees emphasize that ISRO's core competence lies in its unique missions and stability, warning that a shift away from these areas could jeopardize the organization's viability. The letter also expresses fears of reduced recruitment, already constrained by vacancies and attrition, deterring young talent from considering ISRO as a career path.

Since the privatization of the space sector in 2020, the government's plan has been for ISRO to mentor emerging private companies while gradually transferring routine tasks to them, allowing ISRO to concentrate on missions of scientific and strategic importance. The letter notes that ISRO has already transferred around 120 technologies to the industry, including the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle and the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

The development of a new spaceport at Kulasekharapatnam, aimed at small satellite launches, is expected to further emphasize the role of private players in this segment. Despite the government's stated approach, the letter suggests that the debate over ISRO's future direction may intensify. Ajay Lele, Deputy Director General at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, asserts that while the privatization of the space sector was long overdue, ISRO must continue to retain capabilities for core functions such as launching certain satellites and strategic missions—preventing a situation akin to NASA's dependence on SpaceX for all its launch needs.