Space has emerged as the 'fourth battlefield': Former DRDO chief Sateesh Reddy

GUNTUR: Former DRDO chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy has said that space has emerged as the “fourth battlefield”, underscoring its critical role in national security alongside land, air and sea. Addressing the gathering at the Andhra Pradesh Space Tech Summit–2026 held at Vignan’s University here on Friday, Dr Sateesh Reddy said space is no longer confined to scientific research but has become an integral component of modern warfare, surveillance and strategic dominance.The two-day summit, jointly organised by Vignan’s University, AP Space Tech Academy and Ananth Technologies, aims to promote research, innovation and strong industry–academia collaboration in the space technology ecosystem, with several MoUs signed with leading national and international companies. Leading the deliberations, G Satheesh Reddy recalled Dr Vikram Sarabhai’s vision that space technology would one day become part of everyday life, a prediction that has fully materialised. He said any disruption in space-based systems would bring communication, banking, transport, agriculture and even television broadcasting to a standstill. While ISRO missions and satellites often dominate public discourse, he stressed that space-based assets play a decisive role in defence preparedness, especially during geopolitical tensions when nations deploy dedicated surveillance satellites. He noted the dramatic rise in startups from just 458 in 2016 to over 2 lakh today, with nearly 90 percent driven by youth. Chancellor of Vignan’s University and CMD of Ananth Technologies P Pavuluri Subba Rao said students are the real pillars of India’s future space sector and must actively participate in the country’s rise as a global space power. He highlighted the importance of satellite-based digital highways in extending high-speed connectivity to rural areas and said true technological success would be achieved when advanced systems like 5G reach common people through space-enabled platforms. Addressing the South India Rocketry Challenge–2026, AP Science City CEO Keshineni Venkateswarlu said failures are the first steps to success and urged students not to be disheartened by setbacks. He announced that five teams reached the finals, with students successfully launching electrical and chemical rockets and capturing live flight data under the guidance of ISRO scientist Suresh Kumar and other experts. He said winners would receive total prize money of ₹1.11 lakh, with the first prize of ₹51,000 going to students of Annamacharya Institute of Technology and Sciences Tirupati, whose chemical rocket reached a height of 1.5 km, followed by Narayana Engineering College Gudur securing the second prize. Vignan’s University signed MoUs with AMAK Solutions Pvt Ltd Bengaluru, OPAL-RT Technologies India Pvt Ltd, Satcom Industry Association–India New Delhi and Qualitus Pharma Solutions Hyderabad, marking a major step toward strengthening industry collaboration. The event was attended by Vignan group chairman Dr Lavu Rathaiah, AP Space Tech Academy vice president V Seshagiri Rao, Dr Meghana Kurapati CEO, Prof K V Krishnakishore In-charge vice-chancellor, Prof P M V Rao registrar, deans, faculty members and a large number of students.