Department of Space

The Department of Space is the department of the Government of India that promotes the development and application of space science and technology for the nation's all-round development. It was established in June 1972, when the Government of India also constituted the Space Commission, and the Indian Space Research Organisation was brought under it in September 1972. The Space Commission formulates the policies and oversees the implementation of the Indian space programme, while the department carries the work out mainly through the Indian Space Research Organisation, the Physical Research Laboratory, the National Atmospheric Research Laboratory, the North Eastern-Space Applications Centre and the Semi-Conductor Laboratory. Its programmes cover launch vehicles, the INSAT satellite system for telecommunications, broadcasting and meteorology, remote sensing for development uses, and research in space sciences and technology. Antrix Corporation, a government owned company set up in 1992, markets space products and services. The department's secretariat and the ISRO headquarters share Antariksh Bhavan in Bangalore.