Gujarat, Tamil Nadu to set up common technical facilities to boost space sector manufacturing

New Delhi (Raghwendra Pratap Singh) :

The Department of Space has approved the setting up of common technical facilities in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu to boost domestic manufacturing in the space sector, officials said on Friday. With increased private participation in the space sector, the Department of Space has approved the creation of two pay-and-use common testing facilities in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat for companies to evaluate their systems and components for satellites and payloads .

These facilities will be equipped with high-end testing, validation, and integration infrastructure. These may be the first two of several such centres, as around 10 states have expressed interests in establishing similar space manufacturing clusters that would help build a space industrial base, the Indian National Space Promotion and authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) said in a statement.

In a statement, Pawan Kumar Goenka, Chairman at space sector regulator IN-SPACe, said, “Realisation of space system requires capital-intensive facilities. The establishment of common technical facilities equipped with capital-intensive systems is a critical step in creating a robust, industry-led space ecosystem in India.”

The Department of Space has sanctioned Rs 100 crore to set up a space vehicle common testing facility centre at Thoothukudi for which Tamil Nadu government will provide necessary land and building.