News Highlights
India and China are a step closer to working together in space after a joint commission on space cooperation in the case of BRICS Remote Sensing Constellation was established at a meeting of the space agencies of the member countries
Two Indian satellites, Resourcesat-2 and 2A, will be part of the “virtual constellation of remote sensing satellite
BRICS Remote Sensing Constellation
- The August 2021 agreement enabled the building of the virtual constellation of specified remote sensing satellites of Brics space agencies
- Aim – The planned virtual constellation’s goal is to provide individual BRICS countries with access to satellite remote sensing data that may be used for a variety of purposes, including natural resource management and disaster management.
- Phases – The Constellation is divided into two phases: phase one, which consists of a virtual constellation of current satellites, and phase two, which consists of a new satellite constellation.
- Use – It will establish a system for sharing remote sensing data, which will make data from each member country’s existing Earth observation satellites available to all other members.
- The Brics remote sensing constellation will be made up of six existing satellites contributed by the space agencies of Brics countries including the CBERS-4, jointly developed by Brazil and China, Russia’s Kanopus-V-type and China’s Gaofen-6 and Ziyuan III 02.
Need of BRICS Remote Sensing Constellation
- The BRICS countries account for 43% of global population, 30% of global GDP, and 17% of global trade, and they have been working to improve cooperation in a variety of areas, including space.
- Only Brazil, Russia, India, and China now have remote-sensing satellites in sun-synchronous orbit, and they will give data to South Africa, which lacks its own satellite.
Significance of Move
- This will contribute to strengthening multilateral cooperation among BRICS space agencies in meeting the challenges faced by mankind, such as global climate change, major disasters and environmental protection
Way Forward
- The corporation between the emerging powers like BRICS is vital for space exploration and it also play a role as a plateform for mutual cooperation.
Pic Courtesy : Hindustan Times
Content Source : Hindustan Times