Budget 2024: Rs 11,078 crore for research and works in space

Ajay Banerjee

New Delhi, February 1

The proposed interim budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has a sum of Rs 11,078 allocated for research and new projects in the space sector.

A capital allocation of Rs 5,567 crore has been made for space research. Another capital allocation of Rs 5,511 crore has been made under central sector schemes. Of the central sector schemes, ‘space technology’ gets the biggest chunk of Rs 4,983 crore. Space applications, space sciences and INSAT Satellite System get the rest.

Space technology is defined as work of the ISRO centres like the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Inertial Systems Unit, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, UR Rao Satellite Centre, Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems, Satish Dhawan Space Centre and the Human Spaceflight Centre, among other things.

Space Applications include National Remote Sensing Centre and Indian Institute of Remote Sensing.

Space sciences include planetary science programme, climate and atmospheric programme, solar observatory Aditya-L1 and Space Docking Experiment Mission.

Meanwhile, space sector is trying out new technologies. A Green Propulsion System, developed under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme of DRDO, has successfully demonstrated in-orbit functionality on a payload launched by PSLV C-58 mission.

The telemetry data from PSLV has been validated with ground level solution and is found to have exceeded all performance parameters. This innovative technology has resulted in non-toxic and environment-friendly propulsion system for low orbit space.

The TDF is a flagship programme of Ministry of Defence executed by DRDO under the ‘Make in India’ initiative for funding innovation in defence and aerospace, especially to start-ups and MSMEs.