Synopsis
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has generated $439 million from foreign satellite launches over the last decade, as reported by Minister Jitendra Singh. The agency has launched 393 foreign satellites and is collaborating with various countries on space missions.Key Takeaways
- ISRO generated $439 million from satellite launches.
- Launched 393 foreign satellites in 10 years.
- Collaboration with 61 countries for space missions.
- Increased funding for Gaganyaan Programme to Rs 20,193 crore.
- Two crewed flights planned by 2028.
New Delhi, March 12 (NationPress) The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has accumulated a remarkable revenue of $439 million from the launch of foreign satellites over the past decade, as reported by Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State for Science and Technology, on Wednesday.
In a formal response to the Lok Sabha, Singh stated that "from January 2015 to December 2024, a total of 393 foreign satellites and 3 Indian customer satellites have been launched on a commercial basis aboard ISRO's PSLV, LVM3, and SSLV Launch Vehicles."
The minister also pointed out that the foreign exchange earnings generated by the government through the launch of these satellites during the same timeframe amount to approximately $143 million and 272 million euros.
Based on current exchange rates, 272 million euros translates to around $296 million. Since 2014, India has successfully launched satellites for 34 countries, as noted by the minister.
The largest number of launches has been for the US (232). Other nations include the UK (83), Singapore (19), Canada (8), Korea (5), Luxembourg (4), Italy (4), Germany (3), Belgium (3), Finland (3), France (3), Switzerland (2), Netherlands (2), Japan (2), Israel (2), Spain (2), Australia (1), United Arab Emirates (1), and Austria (1), among others.
Additionally, Singh informed Parliament about ISRO's collaborations with foreign space agencies across 61 countries.
"Currently, documents for space cooperation have been signed with 61 countries and five multilateral organizations. Key areas of collaboration include satellite remote sensing, satellite navigation, satellite communication, space science, planetary exploration, and capacity building," Singh explained.
ISRO is also working with NASA on a joint satellite mission called ‘NISAR (NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar)’ which is progressing well.
In partnership with the French National Space Agency (CNES), ISRO is developing another joint satellite mission titled ‘TRISHNA (Thermal Infrared Imaging Satellite for High-Resolution Natural Resource Assessment)’, currently in its early stages.
Moreover, ISRO has explored the feasibility of a joint lunar polar exploration mission in collaboration with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency).
Meanwhile, Singh announced that the government has increased the total funding for the Gaganyaan Programme, India's human spaceflight initiative, to Rs 20,193 crore.
This funding boost aims to fulfill the programmatic requirements based on the revised scope, which encompasses new developments for the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and precursor missions, along with additional needs.
Importantly, the Gaganyaan mission now anticipates conducting two crewed space flights by 2028.
The program will encompass eight missions—two crewed and six uncrewed—replacing the previously planned one crewed and two uncrewed missions.
