Chennai, Jul 30 (IANS): With the government deciding to encourage private sector participation in the space field, the Indian space agency has said its facilities will be offered free of cost or at a reasonable cost for carrying out various space sector related activities.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), pointing out that space activities require extensive infrastructure and facilities for research and development, integration and testing, space launch, satellite operations and control as well as rolling out space based services, said they are capital intensive and take time to establish.

"These facilities are already established and functional in ISRO. A mechanism is to be created for sharing of capital intensive Department of Space (DOS) owned facilities and premises by the private sector," it said.

According to the ISRO, in order to encourage participation of non-government private entities or private sector, a suitable mechanism will be worked out for promotion and hand holding, sharing of technology and expertise.

A national-level nodal agency is necessary to promote, hand hold, permit, monitor and supervise space activities by private sector and accord necessary permissions as per the regulatory provisions, exemptions and statutory guidelines, it added.

Towards this, an Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) is being established as an independent nodal agency under the Space Department for allowing space activities and usage of its facilities by the private sector as well as to prioritise the launch manifest.