The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the European Space Agency (ESA) have signed a significant agreement to enhance cooperation in human spaceflight.
This collaboration focuses on astronaut training, mission implementation, and research experiments.
Key highlights of the agreement include:
1. Astronaut Training: Joint training programs for astronauts, including participation in ESA's human physiological studies and technology demonstration experiments.
2. Mission Implementation: Collaboration on the upcoming Axiom-4 mission, where an ISRO astronaut and an ESA astronaut will be part of the crew.
3. Research Experiments: Development and integration of experiments designed by Indian Principal Investigators aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This means that Indian astronauts can use ESA facilities ISS, cooperation on human and biomedical research experiment implementation as well as joint education and outreach activities.
4. Educational Outreach: Joint initiatives to promote space science and technology education.
5. Interoperability: Enhancing interoperability between human spaceflight platforms, including India's upcoming Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS).
Dr. S Somanath in his remarks highlighted that ISRO has defined a roadmap for human space flight activities and the recent approval of Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) present an opportunity to develop interoperability between human spaceflight platforms. ESA Director General, Dr. Aschbacher, thanked Dr. Somanath for speaking at ESA Council and remarked that the agreement provides a strong basis of cooperation between the two agencies.
The leadership of both ISRO and ESA expressed satisfaction with the progress of joint activities for the upcoming Axiom-4 mission and underlined the need for continuing cooperative activities in the area of human spaceflight in future.
This partnership aims to boost India's human spaceflight capabilities and foster global collaboration in space exploration.
To recall, in late last month ISRO has also signed an Implementing Arrangement (IA) with Australian Space Agency (ASA) to strengthen cooperation in space activities. This agreement is focused on crew and crew module recovery for ISRO's Gaganyaan missions.
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