Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting with astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, at his residence in New Delhi
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: India has spent Rs 548 crore on the Axiom-4 mission that facilitated Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s entry to the International Space Station as the first Indian astronaut, Union Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said in the Lok Sabha on Monday, providing the first official account on the expenses incurred on the mission.
On Monday, Group Captain Shukla, the mission pilot, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and shared his experience of staying 18 days in space. He and his back up Group Captain Prasanth Nair returned to India on Sunday.
But the discussions on India’s achievements in the space sector in the Lower House was marred by raucous protest by the opposition, prompting Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to point out that “topic like space, which are extremely important for India’s scientific and strategic vision in the 21st century, should at least be kept above partisan politics”.
“Today, during a special discussion in the Lok Sabha on the journey of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the ISS and his subsequent return, the manner in which the opposition created a ruckus in the House and did not allow it to function is extremely unfortunate,” Rajnath said.
“They could have participated in the discussion and provided constructive review, criticism, and suggestions for India’s space programme,” the Defence Minister said.
The disclosure by Jitendra Singh is the first official word on the expenses for the mission.
“We have spent Rs 548 crore ($65 million), which is very small compared to other missions in the world. We have specialised in the technique of cost effective missions. Chandrayaan-3 was achieved at Rs 600 crore and Gaganyaan budget is Rs 10,000 crore,” he said.
The first Indian to go to space in own spacecraft would be a reality by 2027; the Bharatiya Antriksh Station would be up by 2035 and an Indian would be on the moon by 2040, he said.
The minister said after opening up the space sector for private players in 2020, India’s space economy already reached Rs 69,898 crore ($8 billion) and would touch Rs 3,93,178 crore ($45 billion) in the next decade.
The discussion remained inconclusive as the House was adjourned due to vociferous protests by the opposition.
Group Captain Shukla and three other Indian astronauts are expected to be present at the second National Space Day celebrations in Delhi on August 23.