ISRO to soon enter into space tourism; PMO replies to Arora MP

Ludhiana, February 21, 2023: India is about to join the elite club of nations such as US, Russia and China into space tourism in the future. Indications to this effect are there.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has carried out a few feasibility studies for a sub-orbital space tourism mission. This has been revealed by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, and in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh.

Dr Jitendra Singh stated this in reply to a question on space tourism asked by MP Sanjeev Arora in the Rajya Sabha recently. Arora had asked the question whether Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning for space tourism. If so, the details of the Budget allocated for the purpose.

In reply to Arora’s question, Dr Jitendra Singh replied: “The objective of India's maiden human spaceflight programme 'Gaganyaan' demonstration of human spaceflight capability to Low Earth Orbit, which is a precursor to future Space Tourism Programme. ISRO has carried out a few feasibility studies for a sub-orbital space tourism mission. After the accomplishment of Gaganyaan mission, activities towards space tourism shall be firmed up.”

Giving this information here today, Arora said it is really a matter of pride for countrymen that the ISRO is in the process of launching space tourism. “It clearly shows that India is entering into a new era”, he remarked. He added as per the available information, ISRO pursues international cooperation and relations with 61 countries in varied domains of space activities.

Arora said earlier there were confirmed reports that the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre [IN-SPACe] has been created as a single window agency, under Department of Space, to promote, handhold and authorize the activities of private sector in space domain, including those by young entrepreneurs and students interested in the field of Space Science.

IN-SPACe will come up with mechanisms to enable sharing of technical facilities and expertise available across ISRO Centres with private entities.

Adding, Arora hoped that the government’s new initiative would ultimately provide direction to the activities of the private Indian space industry. He said it is also good to note that the ISRO has also developed international cooperation and relations with 61 countries in varied domains of space activities.

Space tourism is the space travel for recreational and leisure of business purposes. Space Tourism has been in news recently because of two American billionaires, Richard Bronsan and Jef Bezos who went into space as tourists using their personal rocket and aircraft. Earlier NASA and the Russian Space Agency started taking tourists for space travel. Russian Soyuz spacecraft used to take tourists every 6 months. Space Adventures was the first agency in the field of Space Tourism. The agency was started by US billionaire Richard Garriot in 1998. Both NASA and the Russian Space Agency halted space tourism, industrialists and entrepreneurs thought they could start private missions so that more and more people could travel to space. This gave birth to the concept of Space tourism.