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satellites. At the same time, ISRO engaged with the end users of communications, meteorology and natural resources management to evolve meaningful uses of the satellites in these areas. Transformation of ISRO from research to operational institution Most old ISRO hands wonder since when did a primarily R&D organization become an operational agency for the manufacture of launchers, communications satellites and Remote Sensing satellites, and the provision of services for launches, communications satellite management and Remote Sensing data services? It happened over time. Diversion from core purpose to internalization of ISRO From the heady and challenging days of working with other organizations, ISRO has steadily internalized its activities and turned itself into a launcher and satellite produc- tion and service agency. ere is precious lile R&D that goes on which we are aware about. e small satellite launch vehicle is an aerthought, as the same has been already proposed by NewSpace India participants. While the development of the cryogenic engine is significant, it should be noted that it got delayed due to a decision to tie up with Russia for the cryogenic engines and the subsequent geopolitical maneuvers and events. We are far behind in the development of reusable launchers because our aention is more on increasing the number of launches. When PSLV is built with nearly 80% of contracted components, what is holding ISRO back from passing on the manufacture and launch activities of PSLV to the industry and concentrating on new developments in launcher technologies? In applications too, the much vaunted 160 projects to be executed by end users to give a fillip to the use of Remote Sensing data by end user departments were inter- nalized to a set of Bhuvan maps prepared by ISRO. ere are hardly any applications that are significant, and that extend the capabilities of modeling and analysis. W hile data science has taken the world by storm, ISRO seems to be well insulated from these advances. ere have been no significant developments in the communications field either on satellites or on the ground. IRNSS is an exception, but two years aer its com- missioning, its usage is still minimal. e worst action of internalization was the unnecessary creation of the Remote Sensing Data Policy. Till this came, IRS data was available openly. On the other hand, decades old policies of Survey of India made it difficult for scientists to acquire topographic maps, par- ticularly of coastal and international boundary areas, essential for the analysis of satellite imagery. Similarly, policies of the Ministries of Home and Defence made it extremely difficult to acquire aerial photographs and imagery, which were useful as supplementary data. e RSDP ensured that ISRO joined the dubious club of data deniers. e decision to canalize import of high resolution imagery is another choke-point which smacks of conflict of interest. While the unstated desire is to promote high resolution IRS data, the RSDP effectively denies this data to users other than from the government or government-sponsored projects. Worse still was its decision to sell imagery which was being generated using taxpayers' money. e result was to drive away potential users from industry and academia. Ostensibly, Bhuvan is designed to make data available to end users for free. In reality, Bhuvan, with its poor bandwidth, is no match for Landsat and Sentinel data, which are available for free to download from the Cloud, but policy restric- tions prevent ISRO from doing the same. Deterioration of leadership and disempowerment of young generation e journey of ISRO under a Chairman who could boldly go out and face a hostile media aer the failure of the first SLV launch to a Chairman whose prime interest is to launch, launch and launch, and who cries on the ISRO's transition, om a primar ily R&D organization to an operational agency for the manufacture of launchers, communications satellites and Remote Sensing satellites, and the provision of ser vices for launches, communications satellite management and Remote Sensing data services, has le several experts and old hands surprised Courtesy: ISRO www.geospatialworld.net | May-June 2020 20 IN PERSPECTIVE There is need for a comprehensive Space policy, which has been hanging fire for long. Such a policy will encourage a vibrant Space industry independ ent of ISRO-DOS. And it must emerge from the Space industry and user communi es, and not be driven by ISRO-DOS

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