The US Space Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) administrator Bill Nelson has stated that the US is open to helping India build its own space station. During his visit to India, he revealed that both India and the US are planning to send an astronaut to the International Space Station by the end of 2024.
Responding to a media query, Nelson stated that the US is ready to collaborate with India in building the space station it wants. He told media, "We expect by that time to have a commercial space station. I think India wants to have a commercial space station by 2040. If India wants us to collaborate with them, of course, we will be available. But that's up to India.”
Nelson urged Singh to speed up the programme for sending India's first astronaut aboard a NASA rocket to the International Space Station. As for training an astronaut, Nelson told media, “The selection of astronaut is determined by ISRO. NASA will not make the selection”.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked ISRO to aim to build an Indian space station by 2035 and send astronauts to the moon by 2040.
Currently, NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are set to launch a state-of-the-art joint venture satellite with NASA -- NISAR -- in the first quarter of 2024. The data collected by NISAR will be used for studying the land ecosystems, deformation of solid earth, mountain and polar cryosphere, sea ice and coastal oceans on a regional to global scale.
In a post, Nelson wrote, “Touchdown in India! Ready to embark on a week of engaging meetings and events to grow NASA’s partnership with ISRO. India is a leader in space, and we're looking forward to a productive visit.”
Nelson also met with Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh to discuss cooperation between the two countries in the space sector.
As per an official statement from the science and technology ministry, “ISRO is also exploring the feasibility of utilising NASA's Hypervelocity Impact Test (HVIT) facility for testing Gaganyaan module Micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) protection shields.”
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