Remarks on the space policy conference 2025

Happy to have participated in the space policy conference, 2025 held in New Delhi. The discussion revolved around spectrum allocation and the use of satellites in meeting the communication needs of tomorrow. The view among the speakers was pragmatic emphasising that while satellite communication will play an important part in the future of networking the role of terrestrial telecommunication will not be diminished especially as new advancements in fiber optics are happening rapidly. I concurred.

While wireless communication remains the most important application of space technology I wondered if there is more to it? Can space policy look beyond weather,defense & telecommunication?

Not too long ago NASA was doing just that. There was a period of rapid development in materials science ,cryogenics & electronics that influenced industries beyond the space sector. That era was characterised by industrial cross collaboration. New composites were developed ,new synthesis techniques were devised. There was an explosion of new ideas.

We had improvements in solar cells. New semiconductor technologies were mastered. New cameras were built. Many of the consumer technologies that shape our lives today were seeded in or were at least nurtured by the space corporations. NASA being the most prominent one.

Today we are talking about privatisation of space. That is certainly a step forward but I can't help but notice that the space industry has become too constricted. It seems to have lost that spirit of Innovation that defined the early years & it feels content in a supporting role to the telecom and defense industry. It certainly can do more.

As the world moves towards hydrogen, modern automotive Stirling engines that were pioneered at NASA ( building upon the original work of Scottish inventor Robert Stirling) could make a comeback. As can carbon silica composites. Work done on vacuum channel transistors could also be developed further to unlock new kinds of electronics.

The space industry can play a big role in shaping the future consumer market. Due to national interests certain aspects of space (defense,communication,sensing and monitoring) will always take priority. But that doesn't have to be at the cost of collaboration. By finding ways to work with other industries, space scientists ,engineers and policy makers will only sharpen their skills making them more effective at translating space tech to products that benefit society. Space can lead the research and development.

It must not limit itself to a few profitable sectors but rather explore the research landscape and actively participate in developing transformative scientific & engineering ideas.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with me.

Comments

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