Panel pulls up space department for shelving fibre project

Nearly 20 years after the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) signed an agreement with the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) to develop T800 - a high-strength carbon fibre for space launch vehicles - a parliamentary committee has criticised the failed and abandoned project.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) noted the shift in policy on critical raw materials, from focusing on indigenous development due to embargo concerns in 2006, to abandoning the project in 2019 after ISRO was removed from the restricted list. The PAC has called on the Department of Space to reassess India's requirements for strategic materials and formulate policies to ensure the indigenous development of critical materials and technologies.

The T800 Quest

Initiated in February 2006, the project aimed to develop a "special grade carbon fibre" through a MoU between CSIR's NAL and VSSC. Initially due in September 2007, the project faced multiple delays, with extensions granted until 2015 due to procurement and technical issues. NAL, despite working on T300-grade carbon fibre, struggled to achieve the T800 grade, producing only 80% of the target strength. To reach the required T800 grade, another ₹7 cr would have been needed to improve facilities. However, the Joint Review Committee opted to terminate the MoU in 2019, after ₹4 cr had been spent.


The PAC criticised VSSC for poor planning, noting NAL's insufficient capabilities when the MoU was signed and questioning why repeated extensions were granted. The committee also flagged the "waste of ₹4 cr" and the loss of 13 years without tangible results. It emphasised the lack of proper exit strategies and recovery clauses in the MoU, which further prolonged the project.

Geopolitics and T800

In 2005, ISRO was on the restricted list, prompting the need for indigenous development. By 2019, with ISRO removed from the list, global suppliers were identified, reducing supply risks. However, the PAC warned of ongoing risks from embargoes or supply disruptions. The committee also questioned the rationale of "money saved is money produced" in the case of strategic materials, urging the Department of Space to reassess India's long-term strategic material needs and develop domestic production.

The ministry also highlighted that, due to the dual-use nature of T800, export clearance issues could still persist, especially considering the changing geopolitical landscape.