International Desk

India and the US on Monday said they concluded the Strategic Framework for Human Spaceflight Cooperation to deepen interoperability in space and are working toward commencing advanced training for ISRO astronauts at the NASA Johnson Space Center.

A fact-sheet issued by the US and India after the iCET Dialogue between US National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval said the two sides are also exploring opportunities to participate in the Lunar Gateway Programme, reports Indian Express.

The Lunar Gateway Programme aims to build a space station around the moon as part of the collaborative Artemis programme spearheaded by the US.

The fact-sheet said the talks between the two NSAs explored opportunities for India’s participation in the Lunar Gateway Programme, as well as joint avenues for collaboration in other space technologies.

The two leaders also exchanged views on securing a carrier for the first-ever joint effort between NASA and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) astronauts at the International Space Station, which will mark a significant milestone in the India-US space partnership and space exploration.

They noted the strengthening defence space cooperation through the second Advanced Domains Defense Dialogue held at the Pentagon in May that featured an India-US space table-top exercise and included bilateral expert exchanges on emerging domains including artificial intelligence.

They also noted that the space agency’s of the two countries are preparing for the launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, a jointly developed satellite that will map the entirety of the Earth’s surface twice every 12 days as part of efforts to combat climate change and other global challenges together.

The iCET talks also saw the launch of a new partnership between the US Space Force and the Indian startups — 114ai and 3rdiTech — including on advancing space situational awareness, data fusion technologies, and infra-red sensor semiconductor manufacturing.

The two sides welcomed India’s observation of the US Space Command’s Global Sentinel Exercise at Vandenburg Space Force Base in February and its return as a participant in the exercise in 2025.