India’s minister for Space Dr. Jitendra Singh has said 27 satellite missions, including high thoroughput comms satellite GSAT-11, and 25 launch vehicle missions were successfully accomplished during the last five years.

In reply to a question in the Lok Sabha (Lower House) Wednesday, the Minister said, 286 commercial satellites from domestic as well as foreign customers and eight student satellites from Indian universities were also launched during the period.

Dr. Singh said that some of the major space missions include first operational flight of India’s heavy lift launch vehicle GSLV Mk-III; which placed India’s second lunar mission, Chandrayaan-2 into orbit; Advanced Cartography satellite Cartosat-3; completion of NavIC constellation; launch of South Asia Satellite; launch of heaviest and most-advanced high throughput communication satellite GSAT-11 and launch of record 104 satellites in a single PSLV flight.

Apart from these, three technology demonstrators namely Scramjet engine, Re-Usable Launch Vehicle and test for Crew Escape System were also successfully demonstrated during this period, the Minister added.

Earlier, on December 9 in Rajya Sabha (Upper House), the minister had said that the Indian Government has announced space reforms for “unlocking the space potential of India”.

As part of the space sector reforms, the government has created a national level autonomous nodal agency namely Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) under Department of Space (DoS) for promoting, handholding, authorising and licencing private players to carry out space activities.

To facilitate private sector participation in space activities, the existing policies in space domain has been revised and new policies are being drafted and processed. Department of Space is in the process of implementing the announced reforms.

He also clarified that creation of IN-SPACEe in no way undermines Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) position. “The responsibilities of ISRO are intact with focus on R&D activities, technology demonstration missions, mission of national importance, human space programme, science & exploration missions & strategic missions realization,” the Minister had said.