New Space Policy Soon, Govt Scientific Advisor Hints At 'SpaceX-Like Ventures' In India
Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, Ajay Kumar Sood, said Wednesday that there will soon be a new space policy in India.
New Delhi: Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, Ajay Kumar Sood, said Wednesday that there will soon be a new space policy in India. He hinted at the fact that India can have its own 'SpaceX-like ventures' in the next two years, news agency PTI reported.
The Indian government is seeking to increase private participation in the space sector, and will soon unveil the new policy, Sood said.
New space policy soon; India can have its own 'SpaceX-like ventures': Principal Scientific Advisor Ajay Kumar Sood
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 1, 2022
The government's top science advisor told PTI that consultations have taken place and the final version of the space policy would soon be referred to the Empowered Technology Group for further examination.
Quoting Sood, a PTI report said that space policy is in the works. "We have not been using it much, but the new technology of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites ... that is a low cost game," he added.
Sood, who assumed office on April 25, 2022, also said that there are a huge number of satellites in LEO, and that will change the space sector.
What Will India's New Space Policy Look Like?
The government's top science advisor added that the government will encourage manufacturing of satellites in the private sector for a range of applications from health care, agriculture, urban development, and property tax estimation.
"We have not tapped the full potential of this sector. In 2022, the space sector is witnessing what the information technology sector experienced in the 1990s. We will have our own SpaceX in the next two years," he further said.
SpaceX is a private space transportation firm founded by Elon Musk in 2002 with the goal of reducing space transportation costs to enable the colonisation of Mars. The firm designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft into space.
Sood added that there were immense opportunities for use of space technology for the benefit of humankind but there were limitations on what the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) could do. He further said that new launch vehicles, and new fuels for spacecraft are being developed. This will connect the unconnected. He stated that 'connect the unconnected' is the theme, and that this will happen when "we open up the space sector".
According to Sood, the opening up of the space sector could result in the launch of dedicated satellites for various sectors such as agriculture, education, disaster management, and e-commerce applications.
The scientist advisor further said: "Edusat was launched in 2004. The second version has not been launched yet. So, why not let the private sector come into business? That will happen. For the agriculture sector, we can have satellites that can give information about climate, soil conditions. It can be called E-Krishi." Sood said that the thought process is already on, and what is lacking are the satellites.
The global space economy is pegged at 423 billion dollars, with India constituting two to three per cent, according to industry estimates.
The global space industry is estimated to expand up to one trillion dollars by 2040, according to financial services company Morgan Stanley.
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