India’s space program has evolved significantly in recent decades, transitioning from a focus on developmental applications to encompass strategic objectives and great power ambitions. As India’s space capabilities have grown, so too has the geopolitical importance of its space activities, particularly in the context of its rivalry with China and deepening partnerships with the United States, France, and other spacefaring nations. This article examines the key geopolitical dimensions of India’s space program, including the Asian space race with China, India’s expanding network of international space partnerships, and its emerging role in shaping the norms and governance of outer space activities.
The Asian Space Race: India’s Strategic Competition with China
One of the primary drivers of India’s space ambitions in recent years has been the intensifying strategic competition with China. As China has made rapid strides in space, achieving high-profile feats like lunar landings, Mars missions, and a permanent space station, India has felt compelled to demonstrate its own space prowess and avoid falling behind its Asian rival.
The Sino-Indian space competition has both prestige and military dimensions. Missions like India’s Chandrayaan lunar landers and Mangalyaan Mars orbiter are aimed at signaling India’s technological sophistication and boosting its soft power, while also serving as a counterpoint to China’s accomplishments. At the same time, both countries are developing counterspace and dual-use capabilities that could be leveraged in a future conflict, such as anti-satellite weapons and intelligence-gathering satellites.
The space race between India and China reflects their broader geopolitical rivalry, which spans disputed borders, the Indian Ocean, and technological competition. By demonstrating its space capabilities, India seeks to bolster its standing as a rising power and check China’s influence in Asia and beyond. However, the Sino-Indian space competition also risks exacerbating tensions and accelerating the militarization of space.
International Space Partnerships: Cooperation with the U.S., France, and Others
Even as it competes with China, India is actively cultivating space partnerships with other major spacefaring nations, most notably the United States and France. These collaborations serve multiple purposes for India, including accessing advanced technologies, participating in cutting-edge missions, and aligning with like-minded partners to shape the rules and norms governing space activities.
The U.S.-India space relationship has grown significantly in recent years, building on the countries’ broader strategic partnership. Milestone collaborations include the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) Earth observation mission, India’s participation in the U.S.-led Artemis Accords for lunar exploration, and agreements on space situational awareness and satellite navigation. As India and the U.S. seek to manage China’s rise, space cooperation offers a avenue for deepening ties and promoting a rules-based order in outer space.
France has also emerged as a vital space partner for India, with a history of collaboration dating back to the 1960s. Recent joint initiatives include the development of a constellation of satellites for maritime domain awareness, cooperation on India’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight program, and a new strategic dialogue on space issues. With aligned interests in the Indian Ocean region and a shared commitment to a secure and sustainable space environment, the Indo-French space partnership looks set to grow in importance.
India is also engaging other partners like Japan, Australia, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates on space cooperation, often with an eye toward managing shared challenges such as space debris and space traffic management. By diversifying its space partnerships, India aims to maximize its strategic autonomy, access frontier technologies, and position itself as a responsible stakeholder in the global space community.
The Artemis Accords and India’s Role in Space Governance
India’s decision to join the Artemis Accords in 2023 marked a significant shift in its approach to space governance and signaled its growing ambitions to shape the rules and norms for space activities. Drafted by the United States, the Accords lay out principles for the peaceful exploration of the Moon and other celestial bodies, including commitments to transparency, interoperability, and the protection of heritage sites and scientific activities.
By signing onto the Accords, India aligned itself with the U.S. and other spacefaring democracies in promoting a rules-based framework for space exploration, in contrast to the more unilateral approaches of China and Russia. India’s participation lends legitimacy to the Accords and positions it to play a greater role in discussions on issues like resource extraction, safety zones, and dispute resolution in outer space.
However, India’s embrace of the Artemis Accords also complicates its traditional stance on space governance, which has emphasized the role of the United Nations and legally binding treaties over voluntary arrangements led by individual nations. Some have criticized the Accords as an American effort to impose its preferences and disadvantage non-signatories like China. India will need to balance its interest in shaping space norms with its longstanding commitment to multilateralism and strategic autonomy.
More broadly, as India’s space capabilities grow, it will have increasing influence over the future governance of outer space activities. From its position on the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, to its role in multilateral bodies like the Quad, India has opportunities to promote responsible behavior, peaceful uses, and equitable access to space. How India chooses to wield this influence will be a key question in the years ahead.
Summary
India’s space program is increasingly enmeshed with its geopolitical interests and great power aspirations. The intensifying space race with China, expanding network of international partnerships, and growing role in space governance all reflect India’s recognition of space as a strategic domain and tool of national power.
As India continues to advance its space capabilities, it will need to carefully navigate the opportunities and risks that space presents. Unrestrained competition with China could fuel instability and undermine the sustainability of the space environment. Partnerships with the U.S., France, and others offer avenues for cooperation and norm-setting, but also carry expectations and potential constraints on India’s autonomy. And as India seeks to shape the rules governing space, it will need to balance diverse national interests and values.
Ultimately, how India manages these geopolitical dimensions of its space program will be critical to its emergence as a responsible space power and its ability to secure its interests in an increasingly contested domain. By leveraging its growing capabilities, partnerships, and influence, India has an opportunity to play a leading role in advancing the peaceful and sustainable use of outer space for the benefit of all humankind.
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