NASA to expand collaboration with India at ISS: administrator

Washington: US space agency NASA will expand collaboration with India to start advanced training for ISRO astronauts, NASA administrator Bill Nelson said. He said that the collaboration will include a "joint effort" aboard the International Space Station with an Indian astronaut, PTI reported.

Recently, the US and India released a fact sheet after the iCET Dialogue between US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Monday. The face sheet said that both sides were working together on advanced training for Indian astronauts.

Nelson wrote on X, "Building on my visit to India last year, NASA continues to further the United States and India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology for the benefit of humanity. Together, we are expanding our countries' collaboration in space to include a joint effort aboard the International Space Station with an ISRO astronaut."

"While specific details about the mission are still in work, these efforts will support future human spaceflight and improve life here on Earth," Nelson said.

In New Delhi, Mr Sullivan and Mr Doval said on Monday that they concluded the Strategic Framework for Human Spaceflight Cooperation to deepen interoperability in space and are working toward commencing advanced training for ISRO astronauts at the NASA Johnson Space Centre.

The two leaders exchanged views on securing a carrier for the first-ever joint effort between NASA and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) astronauts at the International Space Station, which will mark a significant milestone in the India-US space partnership and space exploration.

They also noted that the space agencies of the two countries are preparing for the launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, a jointly developed satellite that will map the entirety of the Earth's surface twice every 12 days as part of efforts to combat climate change and other global challenges together.