As space exploration missions were capital intensive, the president said space faring nations should share the expertise of their scientists and technologists.
President A P J Abdul Kalam has suggested that an industrial complex on the moon and human habitation on mars could become a reality within 50-75 years. Kalam said this while addressing scientists after dedicating the Insat-4B communication satellite to the nation from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) facility at Hassan, about 200 km from Bangalore.
He said space missions beyond Earth were vital for sustaining the spirit of deep exploration. “Such missions enable us to bring minerals and other special materials from the moon, asteroids and mars.
They will also help build infrastructure for solar power generation, industrial complexes on moon and initiating human habitat on mars,” he said. This, the president added, could turn out to be true in 50-75 years.
“Though these missions require large mass flow into space, they greatly enhance the space market by expanded utilisation of the core competencies built in many launch vehicles, spacecraft and ground systems,” he added.
As space exploration missions were capital intensive, the president said space faring nations should share the expertise of their scientists and technologists so that cost-effective space systems and technologies could be optimally utilised.
“Mankind has acquired capabilities to design, develop and deploy any type of launch vehicle, spacecraft, instrumentation and launch complex for societal and exploration missions.
This has given rise to creation and expansion of space markets, bilateral and international space cooperation, evolution of space policies with multilateral negotiations,” he said.
Kalam, who was associated with Indian space programmes and missions for over two decades, averred outer space missions and inter-planetary explorations were inevitable as the geo-synchronous orbit was almost choked with 240 satellites of many countries.
“There are currently 800 active satellites in various orbits. The satellite population includes a number of military spacecraft for communication and reconnaissance.
The value and indispensability of these space assets are so high, safeguarding them from disruptions was paramount to ensure continuity of services,” Kalam asserted.
Even as space industrialisation and space exploration will expand initially using the current generation launch vehicles, the real value of such missions for human advancement will occur with fully reusable space transportation, said Kalam.
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