Ambassador Kwatra, US Deputy Secy Campbell meet Indian Astronauts, discuss space sector, defence space cooperation

Indian Ambassador to the U.S. Vinay Mohan Kwatra, along with U.S. Deputy Secretary Kurt Campbell and Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer, visited NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston on Wednesday and met with representatives from NASA and ISRO, including two Indian astronauts undergoing training at the facility.

These astronauts are preparing for a proposed mission to the International Space Station (ISS) scheduled for 2025, which will mark a significant milestone in India-U.S. collaboration on human spaceflight.

A press statement from the US Department of State highlighted the importance of this collaboration. The discussions included plans to launch the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite in 2025, a joint Earth science mission aimed at providing critical environmental data.

In a post on X, Ambassador Kwatra said, “Wonderful to visit the Johnson Space Center of @NASA with @DeputySecState Kurt Campbell and Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer. Had the opportunity to discuss India and US space cooperation including in human space flight program and enhancing partnership between the two private sectors in the fields of innovation and technology. Was also glad to meet the Indian astronauts training at Houston.”

The visit aligns with the broader vision outlined by President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their June 2023 meeting to work together to “reach new frontiers across all sectors of space cooperation” and India’s signing of the Artemis Accords, our two nations reached an inflection point on collaboration across civil, security, and commercial space sectors,” the White House said in a press briefing.

Reflecting on recent achievements, officials emphasized the successful selection of Indian astronauts for training at NASA, the progress on the Axiom-4 mission, and the completion of a Strategic Framework for Human Spaceflight Cooperation. These milestones are seen as key steps in enhancing interoperability between the two nations in space exploration.

In addition to civil space collaboration, the discussions touched on defence-related space initiatives. These include India’s participation in the US Space Command’s Global Sentinel exercise, the launch of a joint space situational awareness challenge under the India-US Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X), and advancing reviews on missile technology exports.

The visit also provided an opportunity to engage with private sector representatives from both countries’ space industries. Discussions focused on innovative ways to strengthen commercial space partnerships, further bridging technological and industrial collaboration between the two nations.