New Delhi: The government has granted approval for the construction of a new spaceport in Kulasekarapattinam, Tamil Nadu. This spaceport will be dedicated to launching the Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLV) developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). This development was shared by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh in a written statement to the Rajya Sabha.
The Indian Space Policy 2023 includes a provision for the utilization of a spaceport by Non-Government Entities (NGEs) to conduct launch activities, subject to technical feasibility and range safety constraints.
The Policy has been authorized and made available to the public. It allows for increased participation of NGEs throughout the entire value chain of the space economy, while clearly defining the roles of IN- SPACe, ISRO, NewSpace India Limited, and the Department of Space.
Singh stated that the Indian government has established the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) as a comprehensive agency for the promotion and authorization of space activities. The allocated budget for IN-SPACe is ₹10 crore for 2021-22, ₹33 crore for 2022-23, and ₹95 crore for 2023-24.
The minister also announced that the LIGO-India project, known as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory – India, has received approval from the Government of India. The estimated cost for the project is ₹2,600 crore, and the Department of Atomic Energy will be leading the efforts. Once the project is completed, LIGO-India will serve as a national facility for detecting Gravitational Waves and conducting research in related fields of Astronomy.
