. The Growing Importance of Space for India • India is celebrating its second National Space Day (Aug 23) after Chandrayaan-3’s success, with upcoming missions like Gaganyaan and the Bharat Antariksh Station. • While technological progress is strong, the legal-regulatory architecture is lagging. • Argument: To harness the full potential of India’s space programme and ensure long-term sustainability, legal infrastructure must match technological ambition. o UPSC Relevance: Links to topics of science and technology, space policy, innovation ecosystem, and governance.