Bengaluru Will Be Home To India's First Space Park

Over the past few decades, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has given us several reasons to be proud. From an organisation whose meeting room used to be a cowshed, to the launch of the Aryabhatta satellite, and helping the US launch its satellite from Sriharikota, ISRO has come a long way. And now, ISRO has taken a giant step towards increasing public interest in space technology.In the hopes of roping in the private sector to play a much more active role in space technology, ISRO has decided to open a 100-acre space park in Bengaluru's Whitefield to cater to the increasing demand for components and parts as India prepares to launch more satellites in the future. This year itself, India plans to launch 12 satellites for remote sensing and navigation. “The space industry has to invest and build modular capacity to enable the country to launch as many satellites to meet the growing demand of the user industry including the government's private organisations and overseas users,” said ISRO satellite centre director M Annadurai at the Indian Science Congress.

The plan is believed to be a part of the 'Make In India' initiative as the private industry and HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd) have been assisting in the manufacture of rockets and satellites over the years. The space organisation is in charge of monitoring the quality and progress of the park.

As Annadurai concludes, the 100-acre facility is there for those who cannot create the inputs by themselves. A symbiotic relation between the two sectors will go a long way and such a park will help the space organisation achieve new milestones, not to mention inspire