HYDERABAD: As boundaries between air, space, cyber, and cognitive domains blur, experts highlighted how aerospace innovation, emerging technologies, and global strategic shifts are increasingly interconnected. They spoke at a national conference on “Changing Scenario in Aerospace: R&D, Manufacturing and Certification” at the Engineering Staff College of India.
AP Beena, a senior scientist at ISRO, stressed the critical importance of safety in human spaceflight, noting that human-rated missions require far higher standards than conventional launches. Systems must protect astronauts under extreme thermal and mechanical stress. Re-entry vehicles face some of the harshest conditions, with temperatures exceeding 1,500°C, demanding advanced thermal protection, precise aerodynamics, and resilient structures.
She said India’s LVM3 is being human-rated as HLVM3 with enhanced safety features, including a crew escape system and stricter structural standards. A key challenge is balancing reduced weight for efficiency with robust safety. She highlighted advanced materials like high-temperature alloys and composites, and techniques such as friction stir welding, alongside redundancy and fail-safe mechanisms. Citing the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, she emphasised high-fidelity simulations and digital twins to anticipate risks.
PwC India’s Rajesh Dhuddu outlined disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum sensing, and space-based intelligence in warfare, noting low-cost drones offset expensive platforms and warning of quantum computing risks to encryption.
DB Venkatesh Varma, a member of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters, described a “semi-permanent conflict” order driven by hybrid warfare, urging stronger domestic research for strategic autonomy.