NASA to train Indian astronauts for joint mission to ISS

Washington: American space agency NASA is going to provide advanced training to Indian astronauts as India and the US are planning to send a joint mission to the International Space Station this year or early the next, PTI reported.

US envoy to India Eric Garcetti announced this while speaking at 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.

According to a USIBC press statement, 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 shortly thereafter, which was one of the promises of our leaders' visit together."

"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 said.

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 said.

The Artemis Accords lay out a framework for collaborating nations' safe exploration of the moon and beyond.