Chennai, May 26 (UNI) US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti met ISRO Chairman S.Somanath and discussed about various space missions and the ongoing cooperation between India and US in the field of space.
The meeting took place at ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru and the Ambassador and the delegation were welcomed by senior officials of ISRO, the Space Agency said in an update.
The visit of Mr Eric highlighted the ongoing cooperation between India and the United States in the field of space.
The discussions included NASA’s participation in India’s proposal for a G-20 satellite for environment and climate change, an advanced imaging spectrometer satellite as a follow-up mission for NISAR, and encouragement of cooperation between commercial companies from both countries for quicker and more effective outcomes, Gaganyaan cargo module as an option for transfer of cargo to ISS (International Space Station).
The US Ambassador also proposed a QUAD satellite, ISRO said.
Mr Somanath pointed out the opportunity to develop advanced detectors and packaging technologies with US-India academic institutions.
He also emphasized on building and standardizing docking interfaces across human space programs to enable the utilization of space platforms by other countries and joining hands to build a navigation system on the moon, either in orbit or on the surface.
The discussions highlighted both countries’ mutual interests and shared goals in advancing space science, technology and the space economy.
Ongoing associations through various Joint Working Groups, Artemis Accord, NISAR, and the use of the Laser Reflectometer Array on Chandrayaan-3 were also discussed.
The Ambassador expressed his admiration for ISRO’s accomplishments and its role in global space exploration.
Future programs, including the exchange visits of both sides’ professionals, continuation of balloon experiments, and identifying milestone events, were discussed.
ISRO emphasized the need to address access to critical components and items to expedite collaborative missions.
Ambassador Garcetti inquired about the role played by the Department of Space in fostering commercial space activities.
Elaborating on this, Mr Somanath said for the first time, payload technology and space-bound hardware are being built in Indian facilities that are outside ISRO labs.
ISRO plans to source payloads and satellites for its programs from Indian companies and enable them to enter the global market.
The visit concluded with a commitment to further strengthening the partnership between India and the United States in the field of space.
Both sides expressed optimism about future collaborative endeavors, it said.
