National Space Policy in the offing

            Kathmandu, Aug 29: The government has prepared the draft ‘national space policy 2076’ in a bid to ensure Nepal’s access to outer space by 2022 and provide service through satellite. Expansion of telecommunication, disaster management, development of human resource on space and convenience to achieving SDGs via socio-economic benefit are focused in the draft policy.

            The draft of the policy is prepared by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. The strategic objective of the policy is to study astronomy in addition to geography. The satellite would be operated and projected from Nepal and necessary human resources produced for it, the Ministry said adding that the policy has further aimed at coordinating and collaborating with international research organizations on space.

            Nepal had adopted the space technology for the first time on the forestry related activities in 1981. In 1982, the Sagarmatha Satellite Centre was set up in Nepal. Similarly, the Survey Department had used the GPS for land survey in 1988.

            Nepal has however no satellite of its own, so it is receiving service from foreign satellite service company.

            On the part on preparing draft on the policy, Minister for Communications, Information and Technology Gokul Prasad Banskota said, “Once the policy is ready, Nepal will enter into outer space and humankind would be benefitted from the research and studies to be conducted from space as well as the Nepali scientists would benefitted as well.”

            Stating that information and technology (IT) was becoming ubiquitous in every sector, Minister Banskota asserted that his Ministry will forward the policy that would make Nepal self-reliant in IT. Baskota urged the experts to advance the process of devising policy on the same as he argued that the data provided by satellite would be useful in disaster management and humanitarian rescue works.

            Experts and stakeholders dwelt on the draft of policy in a meeting held in Ministry. The Satellite policy will be termed ‘National Space Policy-2076, according to the ministry.

            Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST)’s Chief of Technology Rabindra Dhakal shared that Nepal has already aimed to put its satellite in the orbit by 2022. He underscored the need for making necessary preparations to put Nepal’s satellite in outer space.

            The participants in the meeting had univocally pointed out the need to introduce space policy and argued that the policy should be able to address the challenges coming over with the launch of Nepal’s own satellite.

            Ministry said that the recommendations furnished by the experts and stakeholders on the Policy would be integrated and conclusion would be drawn from it before sending it to the Council of Ministers.