New Delhi: ISRO Chairman V Narayanan got a tour of NASA’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston before the launch of the Axiom 4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. NASA astronaut Raja Chari showcased a mockup of NASA’s Orion Crew module, which is the spaceship for the ambitious Artemis programme to return American boots on the surface of the Moon after a gap of over 50 years. The Axiom 4 mission is part of a unique collaboration between NASA and ISRO to send the first Gaganyatri to the ISS. Shubhanshu Shukla, pilot of the Axiom 4 mission will be conducting five joint experiments between NASA and ISRO on board the orbital complex.
These five experiments as part of a collaboration between NASA and ISRO are in addition to the seven experiments that Shukla will be conducting that have been designed by Indian scientists. Shukla is spending 14 days on board the ISS, and apart from conducting the scientific research designed to benefit all humans on Earth, as well as outreach activities aimed at inspiring the next generation of spacefarers. Shukla has spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after reaching the ISS, and will be interacting with school students tomorrow.
ISRO NASA Cooperation in Space
NASA and ISRO will next launch the NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) Satellite, a first collaboration of its kind between NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and ISRO’s Space Applications Centre (SAC). The experience gained from the Axiom 4 flight will help plug any gaps and iron out any kinks in the procedures for the Gaganyaan programme. One of the planned flights in the Gaganyaan programme is an uncrewed flight to the ISS. ISRO and NASA plan to cooperate further in the space domain in the future, in Earth and Cislunar orbit, as well as the surface of the Moon.