"India Weighs Strategy as Satellite Internet Powers Compete for Orbit"
Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
the orbital band a few hundred to about 2,000 km above Earth used for satellite internet constellations
ITU
the UN body that allocates global radio frequencies and satellite orbital slots
Low Earth Orbit, or LEO (orbits a few hundred to about 2,000 km above Earth, much closer than traditional communication satellites), has become a new area of competition between major powers. Space in this zone is limited. Satellites need safe separation distances, fixed altitude bands and shared radio frequencies. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN body that coordinates global radio spectrum and satellite orbits, allocates these orbital slots and frequencies mostly on a first-come-first-served basis. Whoever launches first keeps the best positions. Latecomers must negotiate around them.
India has faced a similar global divide before. At the 1961 Belgrade conference, India helped found the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). India refused to join either the US-led or Soviet-led bloc during the Cold War. India still engaged both for trade, aid and technology. A related precedent exists in space law itself. In 1976, eight equatorial countries issued the Bogota Declaration. They claimed sovereign rights over the geostationary orbital segment above their territory. The legal claim was rejected. But it built political pressure. This pressure led the ITU to guarantee every country a reserved slot and frequency band in the geostationary arc. This included countries without launch capability.
India's own space capacity has grown through the Indian Space Policy (2023) and the creation of IN-SPACe. IN-SPACe is an agency that opens satellite launch and operation to private companies. This institutional base matters. It gives India the technical and industrial means to build its own satellite options. India does not merely subscribe to someone else's network.
Several countries have developed independent satellite navigation systems. The USA operates GPS. Russia operates GLONASS. The EU operates Galileo. China operates BeiDou. Japan's Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS) is a regional satellite navigation system. It provides positioning, navigation and timing services.
Satellite internet works through large 'constellations'. This means networks of many small satellites working together. They are placed in LEO to beam broadband signals to ground stations and user dishes. SpaceX's Starlink already has close to 10,000 satellites in orbit. China is building two rival networks, Guowang and Qianfan. Each is planned for over 10,000 satellites. Amazon's Kuiper is also expanding. Within a decade, a handful of American and Chinese networks may supply most of the world's satellite internet.
The core risk is dependency built into hardware. …
Consider the following statements with regard to involvement of private entities in India's space programme:
1.The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) is an autonomous agency formed to facilitate participation of private entities.
2.Agnikul Cosmos launched the world's first flight using 3D-printed rocket engine.
3.Skyroot Aerospace has developed liquid fuel for GSLV.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding the allocation of satellite orbital slots and radio frequencies:
1.The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) coordinates global allocation of orbital slots and frequencies.
2.Under present ITU practice, slots and frequencies are allocated mostly on a first-come-first-served basis.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to India's space sector, consider the following statements:
1.IN-SPACe was created to facilitate private sector participation in India's space programme.
2.The South Asia Satellite was launched by India in 2017 to offer satellite services to neighbouring countries.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The 'Bogota Declaration' of 1976 is associated with which of the following?
Match the following satellite internet constellations with the country/company primarily developing them:
Constellation — Developer
1.Starlink — A. China
2.Guowang/Qianfan — B. United States (SpaceX)
3.Kuiper — C. United States (Amazon)
Select the correct match using the code below.
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