NASA Mulls India's Participation in Artemis Accords To Boost Space Exploration

In a bid to expand space explorations to Mars and beyond, officials from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are contemplating involving India in their Artemis Accords.

This development comes ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to the United States from 21-25 June.

According to reports, cooperation in the space domain is expected to be a key topic of discussion between Prime Minister Modi and US President Joe Biden during their upcoming meeting at the White House.

Bhavya Lal, the associate administrator at NASA, recently expressed that India has the potential to become the 26th signatory to the Artemis Accords.

The Accords establish a framework for international collaboration in lunar exploration, aiming to create a safe and sustainable environment for future space missions. The inclusion of India in this initiative could open up new avenues for joint space exploration efforts between the two nations.

Mike Gold, a prominent US expert and architect of the Artemis Accords, emphasized the significance of the US-India relationship in both earthly matters and space exploration.

Gold referred to India as a "sleeping giant" and highlighted that the sky is no longer the limit for the nation. He extended an invitation to India to join the US Lunar programs, recognizing the potential mutual benefits that such collaboration would bring.

The Artemis program, initiated by the US in November 2022, aims to return humans to the Moon and establish a sustainable presence there. If discussions between Prime Minister Modi and President Biden touch upon India's participation in NASA's Artemis program, it could potentially enhance the exploration projects of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

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