India Becomes Most Expensive Major Space Launch Power

Gist - A recent analysis in Economics Letters highlights that India has become the most expensive major space power for placing payloads into Low Earth Orbit LEO , with operational costs exceeding $13,000 per kilogram . - This prohibitive pricing stems directly from India's reliance on small-capacity launch vehicles and an infrequent flight schedule , which structurally prevent the sector from realizing necessary economies of scale . - Consequently, a severe domestic launch bottleneck is forcing both government and private Indian entities to outsource to foreign commercial operators , raising acute concerns regarding India's geopolitical vulnerability and independent access to space. Background - Historically, the Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO cultivated a formidable global reputation for frugal engineering , executing highly complex planetary missions at a mere fraction of the cost incurred by Western space agencies. - Aiming to leverage this legacy for global market share, the Union government initiated space sector privatization in 2020 , creating the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre IN-SPACe as the nodal, autonomous agency to regulate and authorize private space activities. - While…