“Our future couldn’t be brighter”: Sunita Williams on US sending Indian to space
Williams, currently on the ISS, has been stuck there for almost a month due to issues with the Boeing Starliner.
Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams expressed her excitement about the collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to send an Indian astronaut to space. She looks forward to meeting the Indian astronauts who will be trained for this mission.
In a joint project with NASA, ISRO plans to send one of the four selected Indian astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). ISRO chief Dr. S Somanath revealed that two of these astronauts will be trained by NASA, and one will be chosen for the space mission. This collaboration also includes the NISAR (NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) project, a joint Earth-observation mission.
Speaking from the ISS on America’s Independence Day, Sunita Williams highlighted the successful history of India-US space collaboration and expressed optimism about the future. “India and the US have had much success working together to explore the stars. And our future together could not be brighter,” she said in her message to the US embassy in Delhi.
Williams, currently on the ISS, has been stuck there for almost a month due to issues with the Boeing Starliner. She emphasized the ongoing efforts of NASA and ISRO to launch NISAR this year from India to monitor changes in Earth’s surface.
“After returning to Earth, we look forward to meeting Indian astronauts training at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Our partnership with India and the countries around the world will help expand humanity’s reach for the sky,” Williams added. She was accompanied by fellow astronauts Tracy C. Dyson and Jeanette J. Epps in her message.
ISRO’s plan to send an astronaut to space in collaboration with NASA is progressing as scheduled. Dr. S Somanath confirmed in an interview with NDTV on June 29 that of the four selected Indian astronauts, two will receive training from NASA, while the other two will undergo different training. Many ISRO engineers will also be trained by NASA to handle various aspects of space flight.
Dr. Somanath emphasized that ISRO’s ultimate goal is human space flight. The knowledge gained from the NASA collaboration will enhance ISRO’s capability to eventually send humans to space independently. “When we get the capability, if a head of state wants to fly to space, for example, it must be on our vehicle, from our land. I will wait for our Gaganyaan to be ready, to be proven, to be qualified to do that,” he stated.
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