India's leap in the space

It remains to be seen whether political will sustains subsequent steps crucial to consolidate this momentum

Prior to the televised 10-minute address in Hindi on the noon of March 27 by the Indian prime minister, few had expected that he would be announcing the beginning of a new space age for India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that India had successfully conducted an anti-satellite missile test, lauded the scientific establishment, emphasised that this was a measure for national security without contravention of any international law and assured that the step wasn’t aimed towards any specific state. The exercise, dubbed as “Mission Shakti”, represented a Direct Ascent Kinetic Kill, where a ballistic missile from earth without any