INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
BENGALURU: Buoyed by the success of various space programmes, increasing space activities in the country and Chandrayaan-3 mission, the Modi
government on Wednesday released a series of posts unveiling its report card on the country's achievements in the fast-growing space
sector.In a series of posts on microblogging site X, the government showcased "India's stellar decade in space" as, it said, Isro launched
an impressive 389 out of 424 foreign satellites in nine years of the NDA government
"A testament to our prowess in space innovation!," it said, adding, "Before 2014, only 35 foreign satellites were launched".With the "voyage
of profits via space ventures", the country earned over Rs 3,300 crore by launching 389 foreign satellites in the last nine years
India also made a world record of launching 104 satellites on board PSLV-C3 on February 15, 2017
Of the 104 satellites, 101 belonged to international customers.India's space sector budget soared from Rs 5,615 crore in 2013-14 to Rs
12,543 crore in 10 years, a rise of 123%, it said
With increased satellite launches, Isro's launch rate also jumped from 1.2 yearly launch missions before 2014 to an impressive 5.7
satellites since 2014.The government also laid emphasis on nurturing future space innovators as Isro's tally for launching student
satellites went from four before 2014 to 11 since 2014
The aim was to "ignite young minds and propel them towards the cosmos", the post said.Though the Chandrayaan-2 lander crashlanded, its
orbiter has turned out to be a "beacon of knowledge" as it illuminated the universe with tonnes of data on the Moon, inspiring researchers
With eight advanced scientific instruments on board, Chandrayaan-2 orbiter has been sending valuable scientific findings from the Moon,
significant among them being clear evidence of the presence of water molecules (H2O) and hydroxyl (OH) on the lunar surface, for the
research community since 2019.To empower young innovators, Isro through its new mini-PSLV called Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV-D2)
AzaadiSAT-2 integration was the collaborative brilliance of 750 girl students, guided by Space Kidz.The government said it broke several
barriers by unlocking the space sector in 2020, giving private entities smooth access to Isro technologies and facilities
The best example of it was on November 25, 2022, when history was made with the establishment of the first private launchpad and mission
control centre (in Sriharikota), the post said
"Around 140 start-ups illuminated during India's Space Horizon since 2020 as (newly-formed space regulator) IN-SPACe created an ecosystem of
industry, academia - innovation, rewriting the narrative of space exploration," it said.India also joined hands with several countries for
trailblazing partnerships in space over these nine years
Significant among them is India signing the Nasa-led Artemis Accord during PM Modi's visit to the US this year
The accord objective is a peaceful Moon exploration and that data from Chandrayaan-3 could support Artemis human landings, the government
The Rs 470-crore Indo-US joint satellite project, NISAR, is the first joint hardware development between two agencies for an Earth-observing
