The Department of Space (DoS) is an Indian government department responsible for administration of the Indian space programme. It manages several agencies and institutes related to space exploration and space technologies. The Indian space programme under the DoS aims to promote the development and application of space science and technology for the socio-economic benefit of the country. It includes two major satellite systems, Indian National Satellite System (INSAT) for communication, television broadcasting and meteorological services, and Indian Remote Sensing Satellites (IRS) for resources monitoring and management. It has also developed two satellite launch vehicles, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) to place IRS and INSAT class satellites in orbit.
History In 1961, the Government of India and then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru entrusted the responsibility for space research and for the peaceful use of outer space to the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), then under the leadership of Homi J. Bhabha. In 1962, the Department of Atomic Energy set up Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), with Vikram Sarabhai as chairman, to organise a national space programme. In 1969, INCOSPAR was reconstituted as an advisory body under the India National Science Academy (INSA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was established. The Government of India constituted the Space Commission and established the Department of Space (DoS) in 1972 and brought ISRO under DoS management on 1 June 1972. On 14 January 2025, V. Narayanan succeeded S. Somanath as the Secretary (Space) and ex-officio chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation and Space Commission.
Agencies and institutes
The Department of Space manages the following agencies and institutes:
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) – The primary research and development arm of the DoS Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Thiruvananthapuram Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR), Sriharikota U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Bengaluru Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad SSLV Launch Complex (SLC), Kulasekarapattinam Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), Thiruvananthapuram National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Hyderabad ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), Thiruvananthapuram Development and Educational Communication Unit (DECU), Ahmedabad Master Control Facility (MCF), Hassan ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bengaluru Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS), Bengaluru Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), Dehradun Antrix Corporation, Bengaluru – The marketing arm of ISRO Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL), Gadanki North-Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC), Umiam Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram – India's space science and technology university NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), Bengaluru Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN–SPACe), Ahmedabad
Historical list of annual budget of department of space
See also Budget of NASA
References
External links Official website