Bengaluru: Noting that the budget allocated to ISRO is insufficient, chairman S Somnath has emphasised the need for private sector involvement in space exploration. He made these remarks while addressing a gathering organised by the Karnataka Educational Institutions Society for students.

Somnath said that the Rs 12,000 crore allocated for space activities is very small. Therefore, collaboration with private players in the space sector is absolutely essential.

He also pointed out that for every rupee ISRO spends or invests, it gets Rs 2.50 back in return. ISRO, he said, is not in competition with the space agencies of other countries,  but is focused on serving the nation. To achieve this, ISRO needs the freedom to operate. By creating an ‘ecosystem’ for business opportunities in the space sector, ISRO can gain the autonomy it needs, he added.

Somnath praises Musk

On an earlier occasion, Somnath had praised Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, for his pioneering work in the space industry, particularly for catching a rocket booster with a mechanical arm, marking a milestone in space exploration. "Elon Musk is making space more attractive," he had said.

On October 13, SpaceX created history by catching a rocket booster that had returned from space using a mechanical arm. This achievement took place during the fifth test flight of Starship, where the booster, which had separated from the Starship, was successfully captured using newly developed ‘Mechzilla’ arms.

The fifth test mission of Starship was launched from Boca Chica, Texas. The Raptor engines of the Super Heavy rocket performed excellently to propel Starship into space. After separating from Starship, the Super Heavy rocket successfully returned, marking the first time a Super Heavy rocket used in a Starship test mission was recovered. In previous missions, rocket boosters were typically discarded into the ocean.