India's Space Program: Cause for Concern?

Abstract

India's space program has become a matter of interest only recently. Prior to the 1980 launching of the Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3), a three-stage rocket with the potential to be converted into an intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM), the program had attracted interest because it represented remarkable technological development for a Third World nation. The security concerns that arise with such a rapidly growing level of sophistication in space technology have been largely overlooked, with two noteworthy exceptions. 1 Recent developments suggest a need for a reassessment of the rationale that underlies the program. This article attempts to evaluate the Indian space program. The first section presents the evolution of the program; the second is a record of the program and discusses specific achievements and ongoing plans. The third section examines the constraints under which the program functions, and the final section is a discussion of those aspects of the program that have military applications and concomitant security implications. There is no detailed attempt to discuss the long-term implications of these activities, since this would be beyond the purview of the present article. The time frame on which the article concentrates is 1972 onward.