THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An astronaut from India will go to the International Space Station next year. This is according to the agreement between US President Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The one selected for this is likely to be one of the passengers in India's Gaganyaan project. This journey will be an inspiration for India, which aims to have its own space station in space.

This does not diminish the importance of Gaganyaan. India's goal is to have India's own technology to send humans into space. Four passengers have been trained in Russia. Now they will be given six months of training at the Johnson Space Center in the United States. A woman will also be included in this. It has also been agreed to send one or two Gaganyaan passengers aboard SpaceX or Boeing Starliner to impart practical knowledge. India will give 200 crores for this.

The launch of NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellite (NISAR) from Sriharikota in 2024, will be a major achievement for India from Modi's US visit. 1.2 billion dollars are being spent. The world's most expensive satellite will constantly monitor even the slightest changes on Earth, including the weather.

India was also included in the Artemis program for human colonization of the Moon, Mercury and Mars. India signed the Artemis agreement without any binding conditions or financial obligations. Participation of private entrepreneurs from India in space interoperable technology will help raise Indian standards in the space sector.

A friendship that started in Tumba

In 1963, the US-provided Nike Apache Sounding rocket was launched from Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram, marking the beginning of India-US cooperation in space.

America withdrew after India conducted nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998.

• The United States banned the transfer of cryogenic rocket engine technology, but India developed its own cryogenic technology.
• America has changed its position after PSLV proved to be the cheapest launch rocket in the world.
• The launch of Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 made India a force to be reckoned with in space. As the first country to reach the South Pole of the Moon, India has priority there. If America's strength is its advanced technology in space, India's strength is its low-cost technological superiority.