Indian-origin Sunita Williams has said that she is looking forward to meeting the Indian astronauts who will go to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is working on a joint project with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under which an Indian astronaut will be sent to space. ISRO chief Dr S Somnath told NDTV last month that of the four astronauts selected by India, two will be sent to NASA for training and one of them will be selected for a space mission.
The two space agencies have also collaborated for a joint Earth-observation mission, NISAR (NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar).
“India and the United States have achieved tremendous success working together in the exploration of the stars. And our future could not be brighter,” Sunita Williams said in her video message to the US Embassy in Delhi on US Independence Day from the International Space Station (ISS), orbiting about 400 kilometers above the Earth.
Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for a spectacular moment! From the International Space Station, we have a special message from the incredible astronauts @astro_sunnyTracy Dyson, and @astro_jeanette For our space-themed National Day celebrations held in New Delhi recently… pic.twitter.com/PsG56LlzVB
— US Embassy India (@USAndIndia) July 11, 2024
She has been stuck on the ISS for nearly a month due to a malfunction on the Boeing Starliner.
“NASA and ISRO are working towards the launch of NISAR, which will be launched from India this year to measure changes in our planet’s surface,” he said.
“After returning to Earth, we look forward to meeting the Indian astronauts training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Our partnerships with India and countries around the world will help expand humanity’s access to the skies,” Williams said.
She was accompanied by her fellow astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Jeanette J. Epps.
NASA will train two Indians, send one of them to space
Indian Space Agency chief Dr. S Somnath told NDTV in an exclusive interview on June 29 that ISRO’s work to send astronauts into space under a joint project with NASA is going on as per schedule.
He said that out of the four astronauts selected by India, two will be sent to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for training and one of them will be selected for the space mission.
“Similarly, the other two will also receive different kinds of training… Thus, all four of them will undergo some levels of training through this programme. Several engineers will also be trained by NASA to handle other aspects of space flight,” Dr Somanath said.
He said ISRO’s ultimate goal is to send humans into space and the experience gained from the entire programme with NASA will help the Indian space agency in eventually sending humans into space.
The ISRO chief, when asked if top leaders would be eligible to go to space in the distant future, told NDTV, “When we get the capability, for example, if a head of state wants to go to space, he will have to go in our vehicle, from our land. I will wait for our Gaganyaan to be ready, proven and capable to do that.”
