Russia-India Sign Agreements for Major Space Collaboration During Putin-Modi Summit
Dec. 9—In one of the most important deals consummated between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Putin's summit and state visit to India Dec. 4-5 is the agreement the two countries reached on space and space exploration. This includes the agreement involving the joint production and 100% technology transfer to India of Russia’s advanced RD-191M semi-cryogenic rocket engine.
During Putin’s India visit, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, who works closely with India, said in an interview with RT: “It is no secret that we trained Indian astronauts. In this area, our competence allows us to share our work, and given the privileged level of strategic cooperation with India, we have no limits in the sphere of providing scientific and technological solutions that will allow our Indian colleagues to implement their program faster.”
The joint statement that Russia and India issued at the end of their annual summit declares: “Noting the importance and cooperation in Space, the two Sides welcomed the enhanced partnership between the Indian Space Research Organization [ISRO] and the Russian State Space Corporation ‘Roscosmos’ in the use of outer space for peaceful purposes, including the human spaceflight programs, satellite navigation and planetary exploration.”
The centerpiece is a landmark deal by which Russia has agreed to transfer 100% technology rights to its advanced semi-cryogenic rocket engine RD-191M to India’s ISRO. The RD-191M uses refined kerosene (RP-1) as fuel and liquid oxygen as the oxidizer. This propellant combination offers tremendous thrust and efficiency (it has a thrust rating of 192 tons). The Indian ISRO heavy-lift LVMS rocket can place a payload of roughly 4.2 tons into geostationary orbit. Integration of Russia’s RD-191M powered-stages into the LVM3 would raise that capacity to 6.5 to 7 tons.
Indian Masterminds, in a Dec, 5 article on the agreement reports that the transfer of the RD-191M technology to India “paves the way for larger interplanetary and lunar spacecraft—critical for future missions such as the next phases of the Chandrayaan program or deep-space exploration.” Chandrayaan is India’s lunar program, that includes a lunar lander, a lunar rover, etc. Further, it will permit India to lift heavier communication, navigation, Earth observation satellites, and so forth. In addition, it “signals a deep trust” by Russia in the Indian program.
Russia and India are planning future space station cooperation, agreeing to use the same orbital inclination (around 51.6°) after the International Space Station decommissions, allowing for easier rendezvous and joint missions for their respective future orbital stations (ROS and BAS, respectively).