The government said today that there are currently no laws governing space tourism in the country and there are no plans to create a law specific to space tourism. However, under the ‘Gaganyaan’ mission, India is developing the technology and crew safety protocols required for human spaceflight missions.In response to a question in the Rajya Sabha today, the Union Minister for Science and Technology (Independent Representative); Minister of State (Independent Representative) for 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 the operation of space tourism in the future.
On another question regarding private start-ups offering satellite services to global customers, Dr Jitendra Singh informed that about 15 start-ups are working in the field of offering satellite services, i.e. value added services through satellite data. The Minister said that India’s National Center for Space Promotion and Authorization [IN-SPACE] is conducting a survey to create a capability matrix of Indian start-ups that will serve as a definitive database for private space sector activities.In view of the space reforms announced by the government in 2020, greater participation of non-governmental entities (NGEs) in the implementation of complex activities in the space sector is envisaged. As part of these reforms, the government may consider public-private partnerships (PPPs) for the development of space technology.
