Patanjali Civil Services Academy

India–France Space Cooperation [Prelims Bits]

Tags: Prelims Current events of national and international importance

Source: The Indian Express

Context: At the International Space Summit in Paris, India highlighted its expanding space cooperation with France and called for global partnerships for sustainable and peaceful use of outer space.
India–France space cooperation: Began with French cooperation in India’s early space programme at Thumba in the 1960s; today includes Earth observation, launch services and advanced space technologies.
ISRO:Indian Space Research Organisation is India’s principal space agency; India has launched 430 payloads from 34 countries, reflecting its commercial launch capability.
India’s future targets: Establish an indigenous space station by 2035 and send an Indian astronaut to the Moon by 2040.
International Space Summit: Held in Paris, organised by France to promote regular international dialogue on space exploration and the evolving space economy; participation included 120+ countries.
Emerging space concerns: Increasingly crowded orbits and growing number of space actors make space sustainability, transparency, responsible data sharing and peaceful cooperation important.
Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS): Located near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, close to the magnetic equator; historically important for India’s early sounding-rocket programme

Q1. With reference to India–France space cooperation, consider the following statements:

The early India–France space partnership was associated with India's sounding-rocket programme at Thumba.
The Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station is located close to the magnetic equator, making it particularly significant for atmospheric and upper-atmospheric studies.
Contemporary India–France space cooperation is confined primarily to satellite-based Earth observation and does not extend to launch services or advanced space technologies.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a)

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: French cooperation dates back to the early Indian space programme at Thumba in the 1960s.
Statement 2 is correct: Thumba's location near the magnetic equator made it especially valuable for sounding-rocket experiments and atmospheric research.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Present cooperation extends beyond Earth observation to launch services and advanced space technologies.