BRICS Summit Drafts Terms of Reference to Establish BRICS Space Council

During the New Delhi summit, BRICS member states finalized the draft Terms of Reference (ToR) for setting up the BRICS Space Council. Member states reviewed the operationalization of the joint remote-sensing satellite constellation agreement.

The BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation agreement was signed in 2021, linking specified satellite assets from member space agencies—including ISRO's Resourcesat-2 and 2A. The constellation facilitates shared data streams for climate monitoring, disaster management, and urban planning.

The creation of a formal BRICS Space Council provides an institutional governance structure to coordinate deep-space exploration proposals, satellite data integration, space debris management, and capacity building among emerging space-faring nations.

This topic is directly relevant to UPSC Science & Technology and International Relations modules. Aspirants should focus on ISRO's role, remote-sensing technology applications, and multilateral space governance mechanisms established outside Western frameworks.