The 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on Sunday backed progress on expanding the bloc’s Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation, involving space agencies from countries including India, China and Russia, while also advancing plans for a BRICS Space Council and a shared science-and-research repository. The developments were included in the summit’s New Delhi Declaration as BRICS members discussed wider cooperation in space, science and emerging technologies.
This is a better RIAAN story than simply writing “Modi addresses BRICS Summit”.
Why this matters
Remote-sensing satellites are used to observe the Earth from space. Their data can help countries study weather, agriculture, water resources, disasters, forests and changes in the environment.
India already has a strong Earth-observation programme. Bringing several BRICS countries into a shared satellite network could give members access to a wider pool of information and improve cooperation on issues that do not stop at national borders.
The summit has also recognised progress towards a BRICS Space Council, while countries are working on mechanisms for sharing scientific knowledge and research.
There is an interesting India-China angle here too.
At a time when the two countries are carefully rebuilding ties, space and science offer areas where cooperation can be more practical than political declarations. The BRICS declaration specifically highlighted cooperation in science, technology and innovation, including quantum technologies and a planned research repository.
