Private Sector Will Be Allowed To Use ISRO Facilities For Capacity Building

New Delhi: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has said, private sector will be allowed to use Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO facilities and other relevant assets to improve their capacities.

Briefing about country's achievement in the field of Space Technology during the first year of the second term of the Narendra Modi Government, the Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Singh on Tuesday said, the Union Government’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ roadmap towards self-reliant India envisages the initiative to boost private participation in Space activities.

Indian private sector will be a co-traveller in India's Space sector journey and they will be provided level playing field in satellites and Space based services. He said, future projects for planetary exploration will be open for private sector.

Informing about India's first ever Human Space Mission ‘Gaganyaan’ to be undertaken by ISRO, the Union Minister said the selection of the astronauts was accomplished and their training in Russia had also started but got interrupted because of the Corona pandemic. He said the project would be followed up soon.

Singh further said, during the first year, ISRO launched a special programme for young school children called ‘Young Scientists Programme - YUVIKA’. The programme is primarily aimed at imparting basic knowledge on Space Technology and its applications to the younger generations.

The Minister also heaped praise on ISRO scientists engaged in search of the best methods to provide essential medical devices, protective kits and other equipment.

It may be noted that billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's private spaceflight initiative Space X in collaboration with NASA created history on May 30 when it became the first private company in the world to transport commercially-developed space vehicles with humans into orbit. Other major countries like China have also begun to boost public-private partnerships in their space race.

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