NASA to Present Advanced Coaching to Indian Astronauts for Joint Mission to ISS, US Envoy Says

NASA will quickly present superior coaching to Indian astronauts to ship a joint mission to the International Space Station this yr or shortly thereafter, US envoy to India Eric Garcetti has mentioned. Garcetti made these remarks whereas talking on the “US-India Commercial Space Conference: Unlocking Opportunities for US & Indian Space Startups,” hosted by the US-India Business Council (USIBC) and the US Commercial Service (USCS) in Bengaluru on Friday.

“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 shortly thereafter, which was one of the promises of our leaders’ visit together,” Garcetti said.

“And soon we will launch the NISAR satellite from ISRO’s Satish Dhawan Space Center to monitor all resources, including ecosystems, the Earth’s surface, natural hazards, sea level rise, and the cryosphere,” Garcetti mentioned, in accordance with a USIBC press assertion issued right here.

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

“You see whether it’s the pursuit of peace and the peaceful use of space, things like the Artemis Accord, we are hand in hand, arm in arm. When it comes to prosperity and jobs, which is a big part of this conference today, it can be produced by startups in this sector, good-paying, high-tech jobs for Indians and for Americans. Space is right there,” Garcetti mentioned.

The Artemis Accords lay out a framework for collaborating nations’ protected exploration of the moon and past.

The day-long occasion in Bengaluru noticed the participation from senior officers from each the US and Indian governments, together with Garcetti, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman Dr. S Somanath, representatives from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Government of India, in addition to distinguished leaders from the industrial area business, business stakeholders, enterprise capitalists, and market analysts.

“I must salute the visionary leadership that we have in both nations in India and the US for engaging in such an accord which looks at the moon as a sustainable place for all of us to come and work together,” Somnath mentioned in his remarks.

“The connection between the Indian partners and also the US partners in critical technologies and specifically in the space sector is really becoming stronger. And I’m very happy about that type of engagement and the options available to the industries and the US business indigenous to connect with India in the emerging space sector as well,” he mentioned.

Expressing optimism concerning the prospects of US-India collaboration in area, USIBC president Atul Keshap described it as a brand new chapter within the US-India area partnership. This week has been notably fruitful, with USIBC and USCS becoming a member of forces to champion these two iCET area deliverables, he mentioned.

“The conference highlights the deepening synergy between our two free nations in pioneering space exploration and innovation by the leading democracies. Through strategic alliances and collaborative efforts, we’re on the brink of achieving extraordinary milestones and expanding the horizons of space exploration beyond what we once imagined,” Keshap said.

The US-India Commercial Space Conference underscores the importance of fostering strategic partnerships to drive innovation and propel the space industry forward,” mentioned USIBC managing director Alexander Slater.

“This is the next step in USIBC’s continued commitment to fostering bilateral cooperation among leading companies and startups from both countries to unlock new opportunities for economic growth, job creation and technological leadership. It builds on our work in February when we hosted the second edition of INDUS-X in New Delhi, which promoted similar opportunities for innovation and cooperation in new and emerging defence technologies,” he mentioned.

Meanwhile, senior defence officers from India and the US have met in Washington to debate alternatives to strengthen area cooperation and recognized potential areas for collaboration with the American business.

Meeting for the second annual US-India Advanced Domains Defence Dialogue (AD3), the officers mentioned a variety of bilateral cooperation.

The American workforce was led by Vipin Narang, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defence for Space Policy, and the visiting Indian delegation was led by Vishwesh Negi, India’s Joint Secretary for International Cooperation.

During this yr’s Dialogue, Narang and Negi mentioned alternatives to strengthen area cooperation and recognized potential areas for collaboration with US business, mentioned Department of Defence Spokesperson Cmdr. Jessica Anderson.

Among a gaggle of US and Indian defence officers, the 2 co-chaired the primary US-India principal-level tabletop dialogue that explored areas to boost cooperation within the area area.

They agreed to advance AD3 by way of common working group discussions.

The visiting Indian Government delegation additionally engaged with the US Space Command, the Joint Commercial Operations Cell, and synthetic intelligence consultants from throughout the US Department of Defence, Anderson mentioned.