Space Power Course

Advancing India's Interests in the Orbits and Beyond

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Key Dates:

Application deadline
Sun, 25 July 2026

Programme begins
Sat, 1 August 2026

Programme ends
Sat, 29 August 2026

The ability to use space for commercial, scientific and military purposes is a vital determinant of national power. Recent years have seen the rise of a global commercial space sector, growing lunar ambitions, and plans for interplanetary exploration. However, these developments have coincided with increasing military dependence on satellites, the development of ‘counterspace’ capabilities, and growing concerns about space governance.

This short course will provide an introduction to emerging issues related to space and how those could shape India’s interests, its opportunities, and the choices it makes. The course will cover the government and commercial space sectors, strategic affairs, and international governance. 

The course is primarily designed to be useful for government officials, members of the armed forces, space entrepreneurs, lawyers, academics, policy professionals, as well as other individuals interested in outer space affairs.

Course Overview

Week 1

SP1: Introduction to Space Power

SP2: Space Reforms in India

Week 2

SP3: Nuances of the Outer Space Treaty

SP4: State of the Commercial Space Sector

Week 3

SP5: The Era of the Megaconstellations

SP6: Space Law and Power Politics

Week 4

SP7: India’s Military Space Strategy

SP8: China’s Space Strategy

Practitioners Series

  • PS1: Geopolitics of the Navigational Satellite Systems

  • PS2: Space Situational Awareness Pathways

  • PS3: Governance Challenges to Space Domain Awareness

Fee Structure

  • Standard: The full programme fee is ₹12,000 + GST.

  • Scholarship: For students, Takshashila alums and serving members of the Indian armed forces, the fee is ₹10,000 + GST.

  • Fees, once paid, are non-refundable.

Admissions Process

Only Indian nationals can apply. An undergraduate degree in any discipline is mandatory.

Those interested must fill out the application form, which will be reviewed by Takshashila’s Academic Committee. The Academic Committee will review the application form and Statement of Purpose. Please take some time to reflect on your purpose for taking up this course and how you think you will be able to use the learning in the future. The Committee gives weightage to this response in their decision while reviewing the application. Hence, you are requested to fill this with sincerity and diligence.

Takshashila Institution will issue a Certificate of Achievement to participants who successfully complete the course requirements.

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Faculty

Sandeepa Bhat

Professor of Law and the Director of the Centre for Aviation and Space Laws, National University of Juridical Sciences.

He has published six books on space law and one more on aviation law. He is a member of the ISRO’s Expert Committee for drafting the National Space Act for India.

Aditya Ramanathan

Chairperson, Advanced Military Technologies and Outer Space Programme.

His focus areas include the role of space in strategic affairs, nuclear weapons policy, the role of technology in India’s military transformation, and India’s maritime interests.

Ashwin Prasad Rao

Staff Research Analyst, Advanced Military Technologies and Outer Space Programme.

He monitors the evolution of India as a space power by undertaking policy research on the commercial, legal, and strategic aspects of outer space affairs from an Indian national interest perspective.

Narayan Prasad

Chief Operations Officer, Satsearch

Satsearch is the world’s largest marketplace for the space industry that streamlines procurement for team building space missions and suppliers. Narayan also hosts the NewSpace India podcast, where guests discuss the Indian space program and its progress.

Ashok G.V.

Partner, Factum Law.

Ashok advises space technology companies on Domestic and International SATCOM and Remote Sensing Regulations. Ashok has also addressed audiences from national security backgrounds on space security and has authored papers and articles on the subject

S. Chandrashekar

He was the JRD Tata Visiting Professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies. He also spent more than 20 years working at ISRO where he covered all parts of the programme including satellites, rockets and remote sensing. He has represented and led Indian delegations to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

Pranav Satyanath

Independent Research Scholar

His research lies at the intersection of technology and policy, and he has written extensively on subjects related to arms control, domestic space policy, space warfare and international space cooperation.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The programme is delivered online through live webinars on Saturdays

  • There will be two live online webinars every week, each lasting 90 minutes. There may also be mid-week sessions on Wednesday evenings. Therefore, the total amount of time that a student will be expected to spend in a week would be approximately five hours.

  • No application fee is required.

  • The Capsule Course is an independent certificate programme of the Takshashila Institution and is not affiliated to any university.

  • Email your queries at capsulecourses@takshashila.org.in

This course is supported by ISpA.