iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
The United States plans to send an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) by the end of 2024, according to U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti.
During a media interaction at an event celebrating Indo-U.S. space cooperation in Mumbai on Wednesday, May 22, Garcetti announced that the selection process for the Indian astronaut has already begun in India. Once chosen, the astronaut will receive training in the United States. The transportation to the ISS is likely to be facilitated by SpaceX.
In addition to the astronaut mission, the NISAR project – a joint Earth-observing mission between NASA (U.S. Space Agency) and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) – is also set to launch by year-end after a technical delay. Garcetti reaffirmed the commitment made when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the US in 2023, emphasizing that the mission to send an Indian astronaut to space this year remains on track.
Regarding the NISAR spacecraft, which represents the first hardware collaboration between India and the U.S., its launch was delayed due to technical issues but is now scheduled for year-end. Garcetti also praised India’s achievement in landing Chandrayaan-3 near the moon’s south pole last year, accomplishing this feat at a fraction of the cost incurred by the U.S. for a similar lunar mission. He underscored that when India and the U.S. combine their respective capabilities, both countries stand to gain significantly in space exploration and technology advancement.
