Dept of space gets ~11,538 crore for future missions

A total of ~11,538.26 crore has been allocated for the Department of Space in the 2019-20 interim Budget, as compared to ~11,200 crore a year ago.

The development comes on the backdrop of upcoming important space programmes, including sending an Indian astronaut to space by 2022, Chandrayaan2, among others.

The funds proposed towards space technology have increased to ~7,482.59 crore in 2019-20 from ~6,992.60 crore, according to the revised estimates for 201819.

The space technology head consists of activities of different centres of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), including the newly formed Human Spaceflight Centre.

However, the sum proposed to be allocated for development and building of INSAT/GSAT satellites is proposed to be cut to ~884.42 crore for 2019-20 from ~1,330.2 crore, according to the revised estimates for 2018-19.

Isro is planning to increase its launches to at least 32 in 2019, including Chandrayaan-2, the country’s second lunar exploration mission after Chandrayaan-1, Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark-III (GSLV Mk-III) that is planned to carry three Indian astronauts to space in 2022. India’s Human Space Mission alone would require around ~10,000 crore.