NASA to provide training to Indian astronauts for joint mission to ISS

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti has said that NASA will soon provide advanced training to Indian astronauts to send a joint mission to the International Space Station this year or soon after. Garcetti made the comments while speaking at the “US-India Commercial Space Conference: Unlocking Opportunities for US and Indian Space Startups” organized by the US-India Business Council (USIBC) and the US Commercial Service (USCS) in Bengaluru on Friday.

Garcetti said, “NASA will soon provide advanced training to Indian astronauts, with the goal of mounting a joint effort to the International Space Station, hopefully this year or soon after, which builds on our leaders’ promises to travel together.” Was one of.”

According to the USIBC press statement issued here, Garcetti said, “And soon we will launch NISAR satellite from ISRO’s Satish Dhawan Space Center to monitor all resources including ecosystems, Earth’s surface, natural hazards, sea level rise and cryosphere.” Will launch.” ,

NISAR is a joint Earth-observation mission between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

“You see whether it is the pursuit of peace and the peaceful use of space, things like the Artemis Accords, we are hand in hand, hand in hand. When it comes to prosperity and jobs, which is a big part of this conference today, the good-paying, high-tech jobs that can be created for Indians and Americans by startups in this region. The space is right there,” Garcetti said.

The Artemis Agreement creates a framework for countries to cooperate in the safe exploration of the Moon and beyond.

The day-long event in Bengaluru was attended by Garcetti, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman Dr S Somnath, representatives of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), senior officials from both the US and Indian governments. Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Government of India, as well as key leaders of the commercial space industry, industry stakeholders, venture capitalists and market analysts.

In his remarks, Somnath said, “I must salute the visionary leadership of both India and the US for entering into an agreement that sees the Moon as a sustainable place for all of us to work together “

“The relationship between Indian partners and US partners in critical technologies and especially in the space sector is really strengthening. And I am very pleased with this type of partnership and the options available for industries and US business to engage with India in the emerging space sector,” he said.

Expressing optimism about the prospects for US-India cooperation in space, USIBC President Atul Keshap called it a new chapter in the US-India space partnership. This week has been particularly fruitful, he said, with USIBC and USCS coming together to champion these two ICET space deliverables.

“The conference highlights the deep synergy between our two independent nations in space exploration and innovation led by leading democracies. Keshap said, through strategic alliances and collaborative efforts, we are on the verge of achieving extraordinary milestones and expanding the horizons of space exploration beyond our imagination.

USIBC Managing Director Alexander Slater said, the US-India Commercial Space Summit underlines the importance of fostering strategic partnerships to foster innovation and advance the space industry.

“This is the next step in USIBC’s continued commitment to foster bilateral collaboration between leading companies and startups from both countries to unlock new opportunities for economic growth, job creation and technology leadership. This builds on our work in February when we hosted the second edition of INDUS-X in New Delhi, which promoted equal opportunities for innovation and collaboration in new and emerging defense technologies,” he said.

Meanwhile, senior defense officials from India and the US have met in Washington to discuss opportunities to strengthen space cooperation and identify potential areas for collaboration with US industry.

At the second annual US-India Advanced Domains Defense Dialogue (AD3) meeting, officials discussed a wide range of bilateral cooperation.

The US team was led by Vipin Narang, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, and the visiting Indian delegation was led by Vishvesh Negi, India’s Joint Secretary for International Cooperation.

During this year’s talks, Narang and Negi discussed opportunities to strengthen space cooperation and identified potential areas of collaboration with US industry, said Defense Department spokesperson Commander. Jessica Anderson.

The two co-chaired the first US-India principal-level tabletop discussion between a group of US and Indian defense officials, which explored areas for enhancing cooperation in the space sector.

They agreed to pursue AD3 through regular working group discussions.

Anderson said the visiting Indian government delegation also interacted with artificial intelligence experts from the US Space Command, Joint Commercial Operations Cell and the US Department of Defense.