More Space For Space: In Budget 2019-20, ISRO Fund Allocation Crosses Rs 10,000 Crore, For The First Time

As per the interim budget released on Friday (1 February), the funds allocated to the Indian Space Research Organisation for 2019-20 have crossed Rs 10,000 crore for the first time, reports The New Indian Express.

At Rs 10,252 crore, the allocation is higher than the revised estimate for the previous 2018-19 budget of the space agency at Rs 9,918 crore, and greater than the Rs 8,053 crore which had been allocated to it in 2017-18.

The funds have been allocated under three heads, namely: space technology, space applications and the Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system. The allocation for space technology rose from Rs 6,993 crore to Rs 7,483 crore, while space applications saw a jump from Rs 1,595 crore to Rs 1,885 crore. As much as Rs 884 crore has been set aside for INSAT.

The INSAT system developed by ISRO is one of the biggest national communication satellite systems in Asia-pacific. Comprising 200 transponders, it is used for multiple services such as telecommunications, television broadcasting, weather forecasting, disaster warning, search and rescue missions, etc.

Speaking about the government’s vision for India’s space programme, interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal stated,“The seventh dimension of our vision for the next decade aims at the outer skies. Our space programme - Gaganyaan, India becoming the launch-pad of satellites for the world and placing an Indian astronaut into space by 2022, reflect this dimension of our vision.’’

Previously, ISRO chairman K Sivan had stated that the agency had 32 missions in the pipeline, including the ‘most complex’ Chandrayaan-2 which is due for an April launch.

“The year 2019 promises to be much more challenging to the ISRO community with 32 planned missions (14 launch vehicles, 17 satellites and 1 Tech demo missions),” Sivan had stated in his New Year message.