India, US working to train Isro astronaut for ISS; to boost initiative on critical tech: Nasa chief | India News

NEW DELHI: Giving a push to Indo-US space collaboration, Nasa administrator Bill Nelson has said that the American space agency is working with India to train an Isro astronaut for the International Space Station (ISS) trip and both sides are also working to promote an initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET).
“Building on my visit to India last year, Nasa continues to further the United States and India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology for the benefit of humanity.Together we are expanding our countries’ collaboration in space, to include a joint effort aboard the International Space Station with an Isro astronaut. While specific details about the mission are still in work, these efforts will support future human spaceflight and improve life here on Earth,” Nelson posted on the social media platform ‘X’ on Thursday.
Nelson’s comments came after a fact sheet issued by the US and India after the iCET Dialogue between National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan on Monday said they were working toward commencing advanced training for Isro astronauts in the US.

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 Centre. The two NSAs exchanged views on securing a carrier for the first-ever joint effort between Nasa and Isro astronauts at the ISS, which will mark a significant milestone in the India-US space partnership. They also noted Isro and Nasa are gearing up to launch highly advanced satellite Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) that will map the Earth’s surface twice every 12 days as part of efforts to combat climate change and tackle other climate challenges.
Doval and his counterpart also unveiled a raft of transformative initiatives to deepen India-US cooperation in areas of artificial intelligence, semiconductor, critical minerals, advanced telecommunication and defence space. The iCET was launched by PM Modi and US President Joe Biden in 2022 to boost collaboration in areas of critical technologies.