Blog

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, has said that the space department is not interested in creating regulations for commercial space tourism.

This reply comes just days after the announcement that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is building capabilities for the expected multi-million-dollar global space tourism market.

Indian startups such as Agnikul Cosmos, Skyroot Aerospace, and Bellatrix Aerospace are building indigenous rockets and they hope to launch them within the next 3-4 quarters. Currently, they are focusing on fulfilling rocket launch demands in the commercial market for satellites. But, with an open field for space tourism, the government is not ruling out alternative revenue models.

Globally, companies such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic have conducted low Earth orbit space flights for tourists. However, the technology and business model is still in the early stages, and the industry remains open for newcomers.

Dr Singh also commented on the status of ISRO’s Gaganyaan programme, which aims to send Indian astronauts into space as soon as late 2023.

His reply mentioned that ISRO is building human rated launch vehicle, orbital module, life support system, crew escape system, human centric products, and crew recovery, which will all be essential to the human space flight mission.