Indian astronauts to space station soon: NASA chief’s big update on ISRO collab

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) administrator Bill Nelson has announced.

That the US space agency will enhance its collaboration with India, including a “joint effort” aboard the International Space Station (ISS) with an Indian astronaut.

This statement follows the iCET Dialogue between US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, which revealed plans for advanced training for Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) astronauts in the US.

Nelson highlighted the growing partnership, saying, “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 announced the Strategic Framework for Human Spaceflight Cooperation, which aims to deepen interoperability in space. They discussed plans for advanced training for ISRO astronauts at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the first joint mission between NASA and ISRO astronauts at the ISS, marking a significant milestone in US-India space cooperation.

NASA will assist in training two Indian astronauts, one of whom is scheduled to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) later this year. ISRO chairperson S Somanath had previously mentioned that ISRO plans to select four astronauts for training.

Additionally, the two countries are preparing to launch the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, a satellite that will map Earth’s surface twice every 12 days to address climate change and other global challenges.