India, France step up space cooperation with new private-sector deals

India and France are stepping up cooperation in the space sector, with companies from the two countries signing three new agreements covering satellite launches, space surveillance and microsatellite technology, according to an official announcement.

The agreements, announced at the International Space Summit in Paris, include contracts worth more than 5 million euros between France’s Safran Space and India’s Dhruva Space for technologies to be used in India’s planned 52-satellite space-surveillance



constellation.

The new agreements come against the backdrop of more than five decades of space cooperation between India and France, built around the partnership between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and France’s space agency CNES.

The first edition of the International Space Summit is being held from September 9-10, bringing together governments, companies, space agencies and scientists.

The summit featured 51 announcements representing about 20 billion euros in contracts, investments and other commitments.