New Delhi

PrimeMinister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India supports a safe, secure, peaceful and sustainable space domain anchored in international law, dialogue and multilateral cooperation, while stressing that scientific data must serve the common good.

Virtually addressing the first International Space Summit, Modi said space is in-creasingly shaping life on Earth, from climate and agriculture to oceans and communities.

“As orbits become more crowded, technologies more powerful, and actors more numerous, our choices must be clear: cooperation over confrontation; sustainabil-ity over short-term gain; and inclusion over exclusion,” he said.

India’s approach, he said, is rooted in “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, and this spirit should extend beyond the planet.

Modi said the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has earned global ad-miration for its excellence and cost-effective missions, with its capabilities sup-porting farmers and fishermen, weather forecasting, disaster management and navigation.

“More than 430 satellites from 34 countries have travelled to space aboard Indian rockets. ISRO’s technologies and partnerships serve not only India, but the wider world,” he said.

He credited generations of Indian scientists, engineers and technicians for build-ing the country’s global space reputation.

Modi said Chandrayaan-3 made India the first nation to land near the lunar south pole, while Aditya-L1 is helping study the Sun. An Indian astronaut also visited the International Space Station last year.

“Looking ahead, we aim to establish an Indian space station by 2035 and send an Indian to the Moon by 2040,” he said, adding that the benefits of India’s space efforts must reach all humanity.

He said India’s private space sector is also expanding rapidly, combining entre-preneurial energy with ISRO’s expertise. Modi highlighted France as a trusted partner since India’s space programme began at Thumba in the 1960s and invited France and the world to be co-travellers in India’s next space frontier.