Indian Space Startups Surging Due To Clear Govt Policy
Shukla noted that, unlike previous times, the country "now has a very clear vision or a policy" for the space sector
Indian Space Startups Surging Due To Clear Govt Policy
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed India's space startup journey at the American podcaster Lex Fridman's mega show, Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla -- set to become the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS) soon -- told reporters on Tuesday that domestic startups in the space sector are growing at an unprecedented rate. Shukla, who hails from Lucknow and will become the first Indian astronaut to travel to the orbiting lab on a private mission, praised the exceptional talent in the country which is driving the space startup economy.
The 39-year-old astronaut -- selected as the pilot for the US-based company Axiom Space’s Mission 4 (Ax-4) -- a collaborative mission between NASA and ISRO -- also asserted India’s position as a spacefaring nation and lauded the Indian Space Policy-2023, for augmenting space capabilities in the country.
Axiom Space is expected to launch the mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, using a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, in May.
"The rate at which the startups in India are growing is unprecedented," Shukla told IANS in an interaction from Axiom Space's headquarters in Houston, Texas, adding that this is set "to increase even more in the coming years because we have exceptional talent in the country".
