The Strategic Role of ISRO’s Polar Ground Station in Space Data Acquisition and Global Collaboration

The global space age sees increased use of polar orbits for Earth observation, exploration, and communication. A ground station facilitates telecommunication with spacecraft and reception of radio waves. It comprises a reception antenna, downlink and uplink chains. Telemetry (TM) and Telecommand (TC) form the primary information stream. This paper explores the strategic importance of polar ground stations, emphasizing their unique roles. It aims to overview available ISRO’s polar ground stations, historical trends, and development of telemetry, tracking, and command (TTC) systems. The paper highlights the growing significance of polar ground stations and discusses future advancements and commercialization aspects.