India May Meet Its Energy Needs From Moon By 2030, Says ISRO Scientist

India can look forward to the moon to fulfil its energy requirements, to go by the words of ISRO scientist.Sivathanu Pillai, a distinguished professor at the ISRO, said with conviction on Saturday the country would meet its energy requirements by 2030 through Helium-3 mined from the moon.

"By 2030, this process target will be met," Mr Pillai said while delivering the valedictory address at the three-day Observer Research Foundation (ORF)-Kalpana Chawla Space Policy Dialogue, organised by ORF.

Mr Pillai, a former chief of BrahMos Aerospace, said mining lunar dust, which is rich in Helium-3, was a priority programme for the ISRO.

He said other countries were also working on the project and there was enough helium on the moon, which can meet the energy requirements of the whole world, read an ORF statement.

"In a few decades, people will be going to the moon for honey-moon," he quipped.

Lt Gen P M Bali, Director General, Perspective Planning, Indian Army, said the launch of GSAT-7, India's first dedicated military satellite, is a testimony to the country's outlook towards using the outer space for the national security.

He noted that India possesses one of the largest constellations of communication and remote sensing satellites, covering Asia Pacific.

Lt. Gen. Bali added that although India continued with a civilian orientation to its space programme, the changing regional and global realities required it to develop military assets in space and on ground as an emerging regional and global power.

He said there was a need for a dedicated military space programme with adequate resources at its disposal because of, "the changing realities in our neighbourhood".