NASA-ISRO to Work Together to Make Indian Space Station, Launch NISAR in 2024

America's space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has said that America is ready to help India build its space station. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, during his visit to India, said that America and India plan to send an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station by the end of next year.

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will launch the state-of-the-art satellite NISAR in a joint venture with NASA in the first quarter of next year. In a meeting with Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh, Nelson discussed increasing mutual cooperation in the space sector between the two countries. In this regard, a statement issued by the Ministry of Science and Technology said, “ISRO is considering the possibility of using NASA's Hypervelocity Impact Test (HVIT) for testing Gaganyaan's module Micrometeoroid and Orbital Debris Protection Shields.” ”

During this meeting, US President Joe Biden's offer to send an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station next year was also discussed. “This astronaut will be selected by ISRO,” Nelson told reporters. He has also requested Singh to speed up the plan to send the country's first astronaut to the International Space Station on a NASA rocket.

The possibility of a private astronaut mission for Indian astronauts next year is also being considered by NASA. In response to a question, Nelson said that if India wants, America is ready to help in building the space station. He said, “I think India wants to build a commercial space station by 2040. If India wants to collaborate with us, we are definitely available. However, it depends on India.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked ISRO to aim to build an Indian space station by 2035 and land astronauts on the Moon by 2040. NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) has been built at a cost of about 1.5 billion dollars. It will be launched next year from the country's GSLV rocket.

(This news has not been edited by the NDTV team. It is published directly from the syndicated feed.)