A high-ranking NASA official has stated that India, a global power and one of the few nations with independent space access, must be a part of the Artemis team, which brings together nations with similar goals for civil space exploration.
The Artemis Accords are a set of non-binding principles designed to guide civil space exploration and use in the 21st century. They are based on the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 (OST).
By 2025, it will be a project led by the United States to expand space exploration to Mars and beyond.
According to Bhavya Lal, the associate administrator for technology, policy, and strategy in the office of the NASA Administrator, who spoke with PTI on Friday, India is hoping to become the 26th signatory of the Artemis Accords by May 2023.
“I think signing Artemis Accords should be a priority (for India). I mean, NASA feels pretty strongly that India, it's a global power. It's one of the few countries with independent access to space, has a thriving launch industry, has been to the moon, has been to Mars, it needs to be part of the Artemis team,” she said.
“It’s about how we make sure space remains sustainable for future generations. So, I think the benefit is that like-minded countries who have similar values have a chance to explore together," Lal said.
She stated that the advantage is that India declares itself a global space power and places a high value on sustainable exploration, responsible space use, cooperation, and transparency.
Lal, born in Mathura but spent her childhood in New Delhi, was the first woman to hold the position of acting chief technologist at NASA in over 60 years.
Lal was NASA's acting chief of staff prior to her current position, where she oversaw the agency's transition during the first 100 days of President Joe Biden's administration.
According to Lal, cooperation between India and the United States on the moon and the Artemis program is needed.
"We actually recently set up a human space flight working group. The goal of that group is to develop strategies for what we should be doing and how. I wish that team much success in coming up with tangible opportunities to collaborate," she said.
"Nisar (NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is supposed to be launched early next year. I hope it's on track," said the most noteworthy positioning Indian American in NASA expressed ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's US visit next week.
PM Modi arrives here next week on an official state visit at the greeting of President Biden, during which space coordinated effort and related issues are supposed to be one of the significant areas of conversation.
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