Gp Capt Ajey Lele (Retd.) is Deputy Director General at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi. Click here for detailed profile.
Deputy Director General, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Gp Capt Ajey Lele’s article ‘Remembering Starfish Prime’ has been published in ‘The Space Review’ on 08 July 2024.
Starfish Prime was a high-altitude nuclear test conducted by the United States on July 9, 1962. It was reported that the blast had disabled some satellites (around two dozen satellites were operational at the time), including a British bird called Ariel 1, the first ever satellite launched by the United Kingdom, writes Gp Capt Lele.
Deputy Director General, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Gp Capt Ajey Lele’s opinion piece ‘China-France space partnership soaring to new heights’ has been published in Financial Express on 29 June 2024.
These recent space endeavors highlight the ongoing partnership and collaboration in space exploration between China and France, says Gp Capt Lele.
Deputy Director General, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Gp Capt Ajey Lele’s opinion piece ‘Chang’e-6 spacecraft brings lunar dust to Earth, revealing China’s 'Moon agenda'’ has been published in First Post on 26 June 2024.
The Chinese are very systematically making progress towards their ambition of sending a human to the Moon by 2030, says Gp Capt Lele.
Deputy Director General, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Gp Capt Ajey Lele’s article ‘Putin’s visit to North Korea and Kim’s dream to dominate space’ has been published in First Post on 21 June 2024.
There could be a trade-off where Moscow provides satellite technology in exchange for military weapons or equipment from Pyongyang, says Gp Capt Lele.
Deputy Director General, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Gp Capt Ajey Lele’s article ‘From Deterrence to Defecation: North Korea’s Balloon Beating’ has been published in ‘The Wire’ on 16 June 2024.
It is important not to dismiss any potential risks regarding the potential threat posed by balloon-based activities. States like South Korea (and Japan) need to remain alert and cautious, says Gp Capt Lele.
Deputy Director General, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Gp Capt Ajey Lele’s article ‘Great Power Rivalry in Space’ has been published in NatStrat on 10 June 2024.
Deputy Director General, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Gp Capt Ajey Lele’s article ‘Space Bonhomie: China Launches Satellite For Pakistan’ has been published by Society for the Study of Peace and Conflict (SSPC) on 08 June 2024.
Analyzing Pakistan's historical and current trajectory in space exploration, it appears their reliance on China will likely persist for the foreseeable future.
Deputy Director General, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Gp Capt Ajey Lele’s article ‘Agnikul showcased more than ‘rocket science’ has been published in Deccan Herald on 07 June 2024.
With the launch, Agnikul became only the second Indian private company to do a sub-orbital space launch, after Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace, which launched its Vikram-S rocket in November 2022, says Gp Capt Lele.
Deputy Director General, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Gp Capt Ajey Lele’s article ‘Normandy Landings: Correct Weather Forecast saved the Day’ has been published in Financial Express on 06 June 2024.
June 6, 2024, will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings along the Normandy coast during World War II, says Gp Capt Lele.
Deputy Director General, Manohar Parrikar IDSA, Gp Capt Ajey Lele’s article ‘Power politics transcends space security’ has been published in ‘The Space Review’ on 03 June 2024.
The need of the hour is to have a universally acceptable, verifiable, and multilaterally negotiated legally binding instrument for space security. This topic is too important to be left to the Americans, Russians, and Chinese.
