The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the European Space Agency (ESA) have reached a new agreement to advance human space exploration. The agreement was inked on Saturday by ISRO Chairman S. Somnath and ESA Director General Joseph Ashvekar.
This comprehensive cooperation will encompass astronaut training, mission operations, and space-related research applications. It will also cover activities relevant to the first human spaceflight, such as astronaut training, space application development and integration, use of ESA facilities on the International Space Station (ISS), human and biomedical research, and collaborative educational and outreach programs.
The partnership aims to enhance the capabilities of both organizations in advancing their respective space programs. By leveraging each other’s strengths, ISRO and ESA hope to foster innovation and accelerate progress in human spaceflight and related technologies.
According to the agreement, the first significant project will be the Axiom-4 expedition. This mission will bring together ISRO’s Gaganyatri astronauts and ESA astronauts. This mission will carry out applications proposed by Indian researchers aboard the ISS. In addition, ISRO and ESA will collaborate on human physiology research, technology demonstrations, and outreach efforts.
This partnership encompasses :
Astronaut Training: ISRO and ESA will collaborate on training programs to prepare astronauts for future missions, enhancing the skills and readiness of space crews.
Mission Implementation: The agencies plan to work together on upcoming space missions, including potential participation in the Axiom-4 mission, which involves experiments on the International Space Station (ISS).
Research Experiments: Joint research initiatives will focus on conducting experiments aboard the ISS, contributing to scientific advancements in space exploration.
