Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, June 6: India has attained self-reliance in Space Technology and, with its newly acquired capability of launching heavy satellites weighing over 4 tonnes, India is now a front-line member in the community of world nations.
This was disclosed here today by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, while briefing the media about the decision taken today by the Union Cabinet to approve funding for the “Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III (GSLV Mark-III) Continuation Programme” at a total estimated cost of Rs. 4,338.20 crore. The briefing about the other decisions taken at the Union Cabinet was done by Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ram Vilas Paswan and Manoj Sinha for their respective departments.
Describing it as a landmark in India’s Space journey, Dr Jitendra Singh said that this is the first phase of the operational programme which will enable the launch of 4 tonne class of communication satellites to meet the country’s satellite requirements. This, he said, will not only make India self-reliant, but also supplement and strengthen India’s Space infrastructure and thus reduce the dependence on procuring launches from foreign countries.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, it is during the last three to four years of the Modi Government that GSLV Programme was given further impetus. Earlier, India had the capacity to launch light weight satellites, while for heavy weight satellites it had to procure the services of foreign launching stations. The situation in the last few years has rather reversed, he said, and India’s launchpads, like Sriharikota, are now being procured by some of the most advanced countries in the world, including UK, France, Finland, Germany and Italy, for launching their satellites, he added.
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