India's nascent private space industry on October 17 welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi setting goals for the ISRO to establish a space station and send an Indian astronaut to the moon, saying it will be a catalyst for significant technological advancements in the sector. "The newly established objectives, as announced by the prime minister today, will serve as the guiding force for India's forthcoming space exploration initiatives," Awais Ahmed, founder and CEO of Pixxel, told PTI.
He said the ambitious goals will catalyse significant technological advancements in the space exploration and related fields, and create extensive opportunities for research, generating employment and stimulating public interest. The prime minister on Tuesday asked space scientists to aim to establish an Indian Space Station by 2035 and send an Indian astronaut on the moon by 2040.
Modi's directions came during a briefing by ISRO Chairman S Somanath on the progress of the Gaganyaan mission, which is to have its first demonstration flight of the crew escape system on October 21, and other initiatives. India's first human space flight is now expected to take off in 2025. Reacting to the prime minister's announcements, Pawan Chandana, co-founder and CEO of Skyroot Aerospace, said, "So good to hear this. Indian space sector is soaring with more and more ambitious goals. I am sure our private sector will significantly contribute to this lofty goals set by Narendra Modi ji."
"We believe today's announcement of timelines by the prime minister will steadfast India's commitment to bring about our new lease of possibilities for our country in space and drive innovation in this new journey," Lt. Gen. A K Bhatt (Retd.), Director General, Indian Space Association, told PTI. Bhatt said the astute leadership of the prime minister has been a harbinger of new horizons for Indian space endeavours and has brought a radical shift in the country's efforts and mindset while exploring limitless possibilities in space.
"This will also pave the way for our private space players to contribute to the growing developments in the space sector of our country. The laying down of the aims for establishing the space station by 2035 and landing a man on the moon will provide clear focus for the growth of the Indian space enterprise," he said. Ahmed said a commitment to setting up a space station by 2035 and sending an Indian astronaut to the moon by 2040 will unmistakably bring space technology to the forefront.
"With our space programmes making strides, the time is ideal to build capabilities within the country. Advancing India's space sector, both in the public and private domains, is a shared priority among industry stakeholders like us," said Ahmed, whose start-up Pixxel is building a constellation of earth observation satellites to provide hyperspectral images at regular intervals. "Ultimately, this will establish a self-reliant space sector capable of promoting economic growth sustainably," Ahmed said.
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