Table of Contents
BASICS
India is setting up a satellite tracking and data reception centre in the Himalayan state of Bhutan (Thimpu)
The Indian Space Research Organisation’s ground station in Bhutan is likely to double up as “a strategic asset” for the country, given its location between India and China
HOW IS THIS BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH BHUTAN AND INDIA?
For Bhutan Gsat-9, popularly known as ‘Saarc satellite’, was launched by India for its neighbours in 2017, India is currently helping its friendly countries set up ground stations for effective communication, better governance and banking services and for promoting education and agriculture in their remote areas through satellite services.
SOUTH ASIA SATELLITE
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka are the users of the multi-dimensional facilities provided by the satellite.
The South Asia Satellite provides crucial information on tele-medicine, tele-education, banking and television broadcasting opportunities. It is also equipped with remote sensing state of the art technology which enables collection of real-time weather data and helps in observations of the geology of the South Asian nations.
INDIA BUILDING GROUND STATIONS
As part of New Delhi’s space diplomacy, a tool the foreign ministry has been trying to wield as part of its neighbourhood-first policy to counter China’s influence in the region, India will set up five large ground stations and more than 500 small terminals in five neighbouring countries – Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
These ground stations will help these countries use the SAARC satellite
THE BHUTAN GROUND STATION AND IMPORTANCE FOR INDIA
Isro meanwhile can use these ground stations to communicate with its own satellites.
The station in Thimphu is seen as India’s counter to the satellite tracking infrastructure created by China in Tibet.
INDIA CHINA FACTOR
China has established an advanced satellite tracking centre and astronomical observatory at Ngari in Tibet Autonomous Region, about 125 km away from the Line of Actual Control, which serves as the de-facto border between India and China.
The facility in Tibet is so advanced that apart from tracking Indian satellites, it can also “blind” them
CHINESE ANTI SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY
China has already demonstrated Anti Satellite tech. China has tested two direct-ascent anti-satellite missiles: the SC–19 and the larger DN–2.
On January 11, 2007, China conducted an anti-satellite missile test. A Chinese weather satellite—the FY-1C polar orbit satellite of the Fengyun series, at an altitude of 865 kilometres (537 mi), with a mass of 750 kg—was destroyed by a kinetic kill vehicle traveling with a speed of 8 km/s in the opposite direction
WhatsApp