NASA, ISRO to send joint space missions

Washington: India has decided to join the Artemis Accords, which brings like-minded countries together on civil space exploration, and NASA and ISRO have agreed to a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024, the White House said Thursday.

“On space, we will be able to announce that India is signing the Artemis Accords, which advance a common vision for space exploration for the benefit of all humankind,” a senior administration official said hours before the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden in the Oval Office.

Grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 (OST), the Artemis Accords are a non-binding set of principles designed to guide civil space exploration and use in the 21st century. It is an American-led effort to return humans to the moon by 2025, with the ultimate goal of expanding space exploration to Mars and beyond.

The official said that NASA and the ISRO are developing a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation this year. In addition, NASA and ISRO have agreed to a joint mission to the International Space Station in the year 2024, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

On semiconductors, US companies are partnering with India to build a semiconductor ecosystem that promotes supply chain diversification. Micron Technology with support from the Indian National Semiconductor Mission announced an investment of more than USD 800 million that together with additional financial support from Indian authorities will amount to a USD 2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in India.