India and the United States (US) have begun discussions to develop a strategy framework for human space flight by the end of 2023, with intentions to send Indian astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2024. Following the success of the Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 missions, this will be India’s third space mission. The two governments also intend to improve planetary defense coordination in order to defend Earth and space assets against asteroid impacts and near-Earth objects.
Collaboration for Indian astronauts’ ISS mission
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden issued a joint statement following bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit on Friday. It stated that they have embarked on a journey to break new ground in all areas of space collaboration. It further stated that the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had begun conversations on “modalities, capacity building, and training” for a collaborative mission to the International Space Station (ISS) next year.
Increasing international cooperation in space exploration and defense
Furthermore, Indian and US authorities have supported efforts to form a commercial space working group under the current India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group. This will strengthen bilateral collaboration in the fields of space exploration and defense. The United States will also support India’s participation in asteroid discovery and tracking via the Minor Planet Center.
Enhancing quantum domain and technology sharing
The United States has also confirmed its intention to collaborate with India in the quantum domain, both bilaterally and through the Quantum Entanglement Exchange, a venue for worldwide quantum exchange opportunities. The countries also reaffirmed their commitment to advancing policies and adjusting legislation that promote greater technology sharing, co-development, and co-production opportunities among their industries, governments, and academic institutions. This includes continuous interaction through an inter-agency monitoring mechanism established as part of the bilateral Strategic Trade Dialogue in June 2023.
