Union Minister Jitendra Singh unveils IN-SPACe Technical Centre

Ahmedabad, March 6: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Tuesday unveiled the Technical Centre of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) in Bopal, Ahmedabad.

The advanced facility is set to offer comprehensive support to non-government entities (NGEs) within the space sector, ranging from design and development to simulation and testing of space technologies.

Aimed at addressing the myriad challenges NGEs face in turning conceptual space innovations into tangible realities, the Technical Centre is outfitted with a suite of sophisticated facilities.

Among these are the Climate Simulation Test Facility (CSTF), Thermal and Vacuum Environment Simulation Facility (TVAC), Vibration Test Facility (VTF), and several specialized labs and clean rooms dedicated to assembly, integration, testing, and checkout activities for space systems.

The Union Minister highlighted that the inauguration of the IN-SPACe Technical Centre marks a stride towards fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for India's burgeoning space ambitions and the pivotal role of the private sector within this domain.

With goals to increase India's share in the global space economy from 2 per cent to 8 per cent by 2033, the government has introduced new policies and relaxed investment restrictions, including opening up foreign direct investment (FDI) in the space sector. "Public and private should go together, if we want to go further," he said.

S. Somanath, Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO, and Pawan Goenka, Chairman of IN-SPACe, both emphasized the Centre's role in fostering innovation and empowering entrepreneurs.

The facility is designed to serve as a one-stop solution for NGEs, facilitating the transition from initial design phases to fully operational space products and solutions.