New Delhi, Oct 18 (Agency) Union Minister of State for Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Wednesday called upon the world to use outer space for peaceful purposes and keep it free of conflict. Delivering the keynote address at the two-day Conference on Space in New Delhi, he said, “India stands for international Space collaborations for the larger benefit of mankind”. “India has consistently adhered to the principles of transparency, accountability, and peaceful uses of Space” he added. Jitendra Singh also urged other nations including China to engage in open dialogue with others so that we share each other’s missions, and ventures without being secretive or suspicious. The Minister said India’s space missions are designed to be cost-effective, building upon human resources and skills. Underlining that India’s Space programme is not only globally competitive but also excelling, he reiterated that India’s Space programme is entirely peaceful and that ISRO is collaborating with the world’s leading Space agencies to bring ‘Ease of Living’ for the common citizen.
“Even though the USA and the then Soviet Union had started their Space journey long before us and America also landed a human being on the surface of the Moon in 1969, it was nevertheless our Chandrayaan that brought home the evidence of water on the surface of the Moon,” he said. Singh said the Russian moon mission, which was unsuccessful, cost 16,000 crore rupees, and India’s (Chandrayaan-3) mission cost just around 600 crore Rupees. The Union Minister said ISRO has launched more than 380 foreign satellites, earning more than 220 Million Euros and over 170 Million US dollars by launching American satellites. ” India’s Space economy today stands at about 8 billion dollars and it will reach 40 billion dollars by 2040″ he added.