India To Start Work On Specific Space Agreements With Russia, France Soon - ISRO
Daniyal Sohail Published January 18, 2019 | 06:27 PM
India will soon start working to develop specific agreements on space cooperation with its foreign partners, including Russia and France, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman Kailasavadivoo Sivan said on Friday
"Until now, no [substantial agreements] have been signed ... with Russia or with France ... Only a MoU [memorandum of understanding] on cooperation in space, general terms. And so, we will be now working on signing [more specific agreements]," Sivan told reporters at a press conference in New Delhi.
The previously signed agreements relate not only to the Gaganyaan ("Heavenly Ship") program, under which India plans to send its first manned mission to space by December 2021, and astronaut training, but to a general range of activities in the space sector.
The ISRO chief also said that the organization planned on carrying out 32 space launches this year, including further tests of a reusable spacecraft. These tests will be carried out using reusable technology of the first and second stages of the launch vehicles, which will allow India to significantly increase their payload and reduce costs.
Sivan also said that India would soon finish creating a command module for the future spacecraft of Gaganyaan program, adding that the ISRO had established the Human Space Flight Centre to coordinate all of the program's activities.
The scientist said that, unlike other countries that had sent animals to space for testing space systems, India planned on sending a specially designed android robot. According to Sivan, the robot is almost ready, and it will take part in test flights, which will precede a manned mission.
In an Independence Day speech on August 15, 2018, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the country would send the national crew into orbit before 2022, when the country will celebrate the 75th anniversary of its independence. In late December, the Indian government approved the 100 billion rupee ($1.41 billion) Gaganyaan program.
It is expected that Moscow will assist New Delhi in this project. Indian Ambassador to Russia D. Bala Venkatesh Varma told Sputnik in early December that actual practical cooperation between the two states on the Gaganyaan project would begin as early as in 2019.
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