Nasa Chief Discusses Role Of Indian Astronaut At Space Station, Calls Country Great Future Partner'

India and the US held talks on deepening space collaboration with a focus on the proposed role of an Indian astronaut who will be trained by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) and will fly to the International Space Station (ISS) next year, Nasa administrator Bill Nelson said on Tuesday.

- Rahul Singh

The Nasa chief also hailed India as a “great future partner for astronauts in space”, and said that the two countries will launch a low earth orbit observatory from India in early 2024.

A Nasa delegation led by Nelson held a meeting with minister of state for science & technology Jitendra Singh on Tuesday.

“I had a discussion with the minister on what the Indian astronaut would do on the space station. And the two of us talked about the fact that things that are important to India in scientific research, the Indian astronaut ought to have that as a choice to do. If there is a particular part of research that he or she would be interested in, then I want to encourage that,” Nelson later said at a media interaction.

“Nasa will help train the Indian astronaut to fly to ISS by end of 2024. Those details are being worked out. Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will announce that,” Nelson said.

The Nasa chief asked Singh to expedite the programme related to sending India’s first astronaut aboard a Nasa rocket to ISS, the Indian department of space said in a statement.

India’s first crewed spaceflight, Gaganyaan, is also expected to take place next year, kicking off a new era of space exploration.