Washington: NASA administrator Bill Nelson has said that the US space agency will expand collaboration with India and it will include a “joint effort” aboard the International Space Station with an Indian astronaut.
Nelson’s comments came after a fact sheet issued by the US and India after the iCET Dialogue between US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Monday said they were working toward commencing advanced training for ISRO astronauts in the US.
“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,” Nelson, wrote on X on Wednesday.
“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, Sullivan and Doval on Monday said 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.