America to send Indian astronaut to ISS by year-end, NISAR project launch on track

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti has announced that America will send an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) by the end of this year. The announcement, made on Wednesday, also included updates on the NISAR project, a joint Earth-observing mission between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which is also set to launch by year-end.

“We are going to put an Indian astronaut into the International Space Station this year,” Garcetti said. “We promised when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the US in 2023 that by the end of this year, we would accomplish this, and our mission is on track to achieve this goal.”

Garcetti made these remarks during an event commemorating the 248th Independence Day of the United States. In addition to this collaboration, Garcetti highlighted the significance of the NISAR project, which aims to monitor global environmental changes. This mission represents a major collaborative effort between NASA and ISRO, highlighting the technological and scientific synergy between the 2 countries.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Independence Day event, Garcetti emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts between the two nations in research and emerging technologies. “Both India and the US should look at coordinating research and critical emerging technology to leverage each other’s strengths,” he stated. He lauded India’s successful Chandrayaan 3 lunar mission, noting it was achieved at a fraction of the cost of similar US missions. “The US has some capacities that India still doesn’t have today. When the two are combined, both countries benefit immensely,” he added.

Addressing the domain of civilian nuclear energy, Garcetti expressed optimism about resolving outstanding issues post-Indian elections. “After the elections, the Indian government can address outstanding liability issues and move forward arm in arm and hand in hand,” he said. Two sites in India, Mithi Virdhi in Gujarat and Kovadda in Andhra Pradesh have been earmarked for US companies to build nuclear reactors. However, these companies have raised concerns over the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act 2010, which ensures prompt compensation to victims of nuclear incidents through a no-fault liability regime.