Concerns have been raised by a parliamentary panel regarding significant budget cuts for the joint NASA-ISRO mission aimed at sending an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS). The cuts were highlighted during a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, chaired by BJP member Bhubaneshwar Kalita.

The Department of Space reported that the budget was reduced during the Revised Estimate (RE) stage for the fiscal year 2024-25, with allocations slashed from ₹715 crore to ₹412 crore due to the mission's deferral to the next financial year.

The committee noted that while collaboration with NASA and Axiom Space remains intact, the drastic reduction in budget indicates potential delays in the mission. The Budget Estimate (BE) for 2025-26 has been further reduced to ₹135 crore, further reflecting the postponement of the mission.

The joint mission was initially announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the U.S. in 2023, with astronaut candidates Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair designated for Axiom Mission-4.

Despite these financial challenges, the Department of Space assured that necessary allocations would be made in future budgets. However, committee members expressed concerns about the impact of these cuts on project efficiency and the overall ability to execute planned initiatives effectively.

They also pointed out that India's Gaganyaan program, which focuses on human spaceflight, faced similar budget reductions, decreasing from ₹1,200 crore to ₹847.35 crore at the RE stage for 2024-25.

Agencies