Govt Says, At Present There Are No Laws Governing Space Tourism In The Country

New Delhi (The Hawk): Government today said that at present there are no laws governing space tourism in the country and there are no plans to make a law specific to space tourism. However, as part of ‘Gaganyaan’ mission, India is developing technologies and crew safety protocols required for human space flight missions.

In reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said, ISRO is currently developing technologies for Human Rated Launch Vehicle, Orbital Module, Life Support System, Crew Escape System, Human Centric Products and Crew Recovery for Gaganyaan mission. All these technologies will act as building blocks for pursuing space tourism in future.

In another question related to private start-ups offering satellite services to global customers, Dr Jitendra Singh informed that about 15 start-ups are working in the domain of offering satellite services i.e. value-added services through satellite data. The Minister said, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre [IN-SPACe] is conducting a survey to build the capability matrix of Indian start-ups, which shall serve as the definite database for private activities in space sector. In light of the space reforms announced by the Government in 2020, greater participation of Non-Government Entities [NGEs] is envisaged in carrying out end-to-end activities in space sector. Under these reforms, Government may consider Public Private Partnership (PPP) for advancement of space technology.