India wants to ally with Russia for building own space station: Senior Isro official in Moscow

NEW DELHI: In a bid to further strengthen Indo-Russian space cooperation, Isro has said it wants to partner with Russia for building the country’s own space station — Bharatiya Antariksh Space Station (BAS) — by 2035.

“With the rich experience of Russian colleagues, we would like to partner with them in the development of the Indian space station,” said Asir Packiaraj, director of Isro Propulsion Complex, who was representing the space agency at the Russian Space Forum in Moscow. “For preparation of BAS, we are looking for good cooperation with Russia...to have common sub-systems for control, powering, communication, tracking,” he said.

With the International Space Station, operated by space agencies of the US, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada, expected to be decommissioned by 2030-31, and China having the only other crewed space station, Indian and Russian space experts discussed the post-ISS future and opportunities for cooperation at the forum, which was organised on April 9.

Currently, both India and Russia are working on their plans to build their respective space stations that can serve as space labs. Packiaraj said India’s proposed station will be placed 450 km above Earth, at an inclination of 51.6 degrees, which is the same inclination of the proposed Russian station — Russian Orbital Station (ROS). He said India is also exploring partnerships with other space agencies.

Russia can assist India in building BAS by providing critical technologies, including expertise in orbital modules, life support systems (ECLSS), and docking assemblies, utilising Russia’s extensive experience from the first space station ‘Mir’ (1986-2001) and also from ISS, where Russia has a designated segment called ‘Russian Orbital Segment’. Russia can also provide training to Indian astronauts in long-term station habitation, spacewalks and maintenance.

From sending India’s Wing Cdr Rakesh Sharma to space to providing cryogenic engines to India by defying US sanctions in early 1990s to training four Gaganauts for the Gaganyaan programme during the Covid period, the old Indo-Russian space bond has withstood the test of time. Also, the Soviet Union (now Russia) played a critical role in launching India’s first satellite, Aryabhata, on April 19, 1975. While designed and built entirely by Isro, the satellite was launched from Kapustin Yar in the Soviet Union.

Indo-Russian space cooperation is the cornerstone of the two sides’ “special and privileged strategic partnership”, spanning over six decades and providing the foundation for India's space programme, dating back to the early 1960s.