Last weekend, Skyroot, an Indian space tech startup, successfully launched its first rocket Vikrant-1, making India only the third country to have private sector orbital launch capabilities. Remarkable achievement by the firm founded in 2018 by former scientists at India’s public sector space venture, ISRO. Whilst ISRO losing scientists to private sector isn’t knew, given the sharp growth in venture capital investments in space tech startups, this has become rampant and a matter of concern for the authorities. “In the 14 July order, the DoS (Department of Space) directed ISRO centres to not treat resignations and voluntary retirement requests of Group-A scientists and of scientists working on missions of national importance in a “routine manner”. These requests will now be assessed by the respective centres before they are finally cleared by the Centre.
Former ISRO scientists and space experts said that while the government might be underplaying the resignations of around 120 scientists in the last 12 months, this was symptomatic of how the government space agency needs to work in better coordination with the private sector, which has now become its competitor when it comes to attracting the best talent in the industry.”
This piece in the Print shows how America has built a thriving private sector in space tech without NASA losing its relevance.
“In the US, the government-funded NASA and private companies, including SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic, do not work as competitors in the same domain. While NASA is concentrating more on big picture science missions, companies like SpaceX are leading charge in satellite launches and launch vehicle designs.
Both parties, in fact, have well-defined roles, and often share resources, including human resources. A case in point was when NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore were working closely with teams from Boeing to fix propulsion issues and helium leaks in the Starliner capsule.
Similarly, astronaut Anil Menon, who recently flew to the International Space Station (ISS) on a Russian mission, was formerly employed with SpaceX before joining the NASA astronaut programme.
Casey Dreier, Chief of SpacePpolicy at The Planetary Society, said that the US’s decision to keep hardcore space science a state responsibility came in early.
“While interesting, the weather patterns on Saturn will not find many buyers in a commercial marketplace, nor will understanding the early cosmos or the potential for life beyond Earth. Nearly everything we know about the cosmos is due to public funding that built the missions and paid the scientists to gather and study the data,” Dreier wrote in an analysis.
He said that nearly 85 per cent of NASA’s annual funding is spent on contracts with private institutions and companies. NASA outlines specific needs and releases competitive contracts for companies to bid on. The agency, he said, maintains vigorous oversight over the development and implementation of these contracts and is responsible for the success of the spacecraft.
“Though NASA’s projects are ultimately initiated and funded by governments, they depend on the private sector to build components and provide other services,” Dreier added.“
If you want to read our other published material, please visit https://marcellus.in/blog/
Note: The above material is neither investment research, nor financial advice. Marcellus does not seek payment for or business from this publication in any shape or form. The information provided is intended for educational purposes only. Marcellus Investment Managers is regulated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and is also an FME (Non-Retail) with the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) as a provider of Portfolio Management Services. Additionally, Marcellus is also registered with US Securities and Exchange Commission (“US SEC”) as an Investment Advisor.
