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Ibadan, 27 May 2024. – US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti has disclosed that the US will launch an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) by the end of 2024. The Ambassador also explained that the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) project, a joint mission between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), will likely launch by the end of the year.
The Ambassador made these statements during his visit to Bengaluru to meet with space sector business leaders and entrepreneurs to spotlight robust economic and commercial relations between the United States and India. During the visit, Garcetti visited ISRO’s headquarters and met with Chairman S Somanath to discuss the ongoing cooperation between India and the U.S. in space. Garcetti also proposed a joint development of a QUAD satellite by both countries.
The Ambassador said, “I am happy to be here today in Bengaluru to participate in the U.S.-India Commercial Space Cooperation Conference. It is an honor to share the stage with ISRO Chairman Dr Somanath as we unlock commercial opportunities to propel our partnership to the stars and beyond. Today’s program is just one of the many ways the United States and India are moving forward to expand space cooperation into the stratosphere.”
Likewise, ISRO’s chairman noted the opportunity to develop advanced detectors and packaging technologies with US-India academic institutions. He emphasized 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.
Ambassador Garcetti’s inaugural visit to Bengaluru underscored the shared commitment of the U.S. and India to leverage technology and innovation for societal progress, laying the foundation for enhanced collaboration and strategic partnerships in commercial space exploration.
