Dimensions of Indo-South Korean space and defence cooperation

Like its Communist neighbour, India too seems to be slowly but systematically projecting its soft power through its prowess in space technology. In keeping with this philosophy, during his recent visit to Seoul, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, offered Indian facilities to launch South Korean satellites.  As it is, the Indian space programme has built up a sound reputation for launching small research and application satellites in a cost effective and hassle free manner by making use of the potentials of the four-stage space workhorse PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle). Singh made this offer during his bilateral talks with the South Korean President Lee Myung Bak in Seoul. A joint statement issued after the talks said that the two leaders pledged to heighten the cooperation in the peaceful exploration of outer space as envisaged in the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI). As it is, Singh and Bak "proposed that the concerned agencies of both the countries study the possible cooperation in future space activities including launching a nano-satellite developed by Korean students on an Indian launch vehicle".

Looking beyond space, both the countries agreed for defence cooperation with a focus on “the possibilities of joint ventures in research and development and manufacture of military equipment including through the transfer of technology and co production”.  India and South Korea have already signed two agreements – one on defence cooperation and another between India’s state owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and South Korea’s defence acquisition programme administration for cooperation in research and development.  On his part, President Lee stressed the point that South Korea wanted to boost its cooperation with India in military and defence industry including the construction of naval ships and aircraft.  South Korea, which has a sound track record in building naval ships, has also emerged successful in developing trainer and fighter aircraft. Without doubt, these two areas are of immense relevance to India’s defence sector. Certainly, India’s quest for self reliance in defence production could receive quickening impetus from critical defence technologies that India can hope to get from South Korea under the cooperation agreement. A strong Indo-South Korean and space and defence cooperation could be a major component to blunt the edge of China’s encirclement policy based on “strings of pearls” policy.

In late 2009, Singh had offered to make available Indian satellite resource data to South East Asian countries for managing natural disasters. He had also offered Indian help in launching small satellites built by them. Not to be left behind, on its part, China is on an aggressive space diplomacy exercise aimed at bolstering its influence across the third world countries. Not surprisingly then, it is offering both the technology and finance to countries willing to enter the arena of space exploration. Indeed, China has extended its support and assistance to countries such as Nigeria, Laos, Venezuela, Bolivia and Pakistan in developing their national space programmes.

Way back in May 1999, India's only operational space vehicle PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) had orbited South Korean Kitsat-3 satellite as one of the piggy-back payloads under commercial terms. Bangalore-based Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of ISRO, has been promoting PSLV as a cost effective space vehicle for launching satellites into low earth and middle earth orbits. By deploying PSLV, Antrix has so far launched 27 satellites belonging to countries such as Indonesia, Belgium, Singapore, Japan, Algeria, Argentina, Luxembourg, Germany, Netherlands, Turkey, Israel, Italy and Canada. Antrix is also exploring the African market with a particular focus on Nigeria and South Africa to promote the commercial launch service based on PSLV. On another front, Antrix has also reached an understanding with the European Space transportation company Arianespace under which small satellites from Europe could be scouted for launch by Indian space vehicles.

Despite its strides in the area of electronics and chemicals, South Korea is yet to put in place an operational launch vehicle for getting its satellites off the ground. The two stage Naro-1 space launch vehicle South Korea had built in cooperation Russia had failed during its mid 2010 launch. Russia had provided the first stage of Naro-1 rocket. Indeed, the failure of the Naro-1 mission to orbit a scientific satellite was a big setback to South Korea’s ambition of joining the Asian space league. Against this backdrop, lack of a home-grown launch capacity has forced South Korea to look for launch support service from extraneous sources including Antrix.

Set up in 1992, as a government of India owned company, Antrix is aiming at an annual growth of 25 per cent. Antrix has made modest forays in the multi billion dollar global market for launch services, sale of satellite resources data, supply of spacecraft hardware and subsystems, and mission service support. While in Europe and North America, there is fairly good demand for IRS data, the sale of IRS data products has been growing in Asian countries including Nepal, Turkey and Japan. PSLV has already established its multiple launch prowess. In April 2008, PSLV established a new record by launching as many as ten satellites in one go. Of these eight were nano satellites built by research institutions in Europe, Canada and Japan. PSLV has so far launched 27 satellites of customers from a number of countries in the world.

As a corollary to the successful marketing of PSLV services, Antrix is planning to promote the three-stage GSLV-MKII for launching commercial communications satellites weighing 2.5-tonne on commercial terms .But then the vehicle is yet to enter the operational stage. For the plan of ISRO to give an operational thrust to the vehicle has hit the roadblock following the malfunction of the home grown upper cryogenic engine stage. The hitches in the cryogenic engine stage during April 2010 mission had resulted in the   failure of the GSLV-MKII flight. And ISRO is yet to announce a firm date for GSLV launch incorporating a “modified” indigenous cryogenic engine stage. Even after GSLV enters operational phase, Antrix will have to face many entry barriers before it makes it big in the area of launching heavier class commercial satellites.

Radhakrishna Rao is a freelancer specializing in defence and aerospace issues