Explainer: Why does America want to help India build a space station?

American space agency NASA administrator Bill Nelson’s visit to India is watching the world. Nelson’s visit is keen to learn about the collaboration between the world’s largest and most successful space agency and ISRO, the fast-growing and Indian space agency that continues to amaze the world with its missions. Issues that are likely to come up during the visit include cooperation in sending Indian astronauts to the International Space Station and cooperation in building India’s own International Space Station. Nelson has clearly said that America is ready to help India build its own space station. But there are several reasons why America is doing this.

Sending Indians to ISS
During his visit to India, Nelson announced that the US and India are working to send an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station by the end of next year. According to Beiting, he clarified that the selection of passengers will be done by ISRO itself and not by NASA. Nelson’s announcement is made in response to a question.

India’s space station
He said that “we” hope to have a commercial space station by then and that he thinks India wants to have its own commercial space station by 2040. If India wants us to cooperate with it, we are ready, but it depends on India. He described India as a big partner for space.

Many American companies too
Along with Nelson, officials from America’s Boeing, Blue Origin, LLC, Voyager Space Holdings have also come to discuss collaboration with ISRO. According to Bloomberg, this is a symbol of the growing cooperation between India and the US in outer space. It is clear that if America gets India’s support, it will have a powerful ally in the space race.

The situation in the world regarding space is changing
Many may wonder why a country like the US, which once hesitated to provide any kind of technology to India, is ready to cooperate on an issue like the space station? Instead, why is he coming forward and encouraging India? This is due to the clearly changed circumstances of international and space competition.

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Competition with China
Currently, the international scenario regarding the space sector in the world is very different. Where politically, China is emerging as America’s biggest rival. In a politically divided world, there is a great need to bring more and more countries with us. In this, the US seeks cooperation from other countries to increase the participation of the private sector.

Polarization in space,
China and Russia have come together because of America’s opposition. And India is becoming a fast growing space power that has a lot of potential in the space market as well. In India too, the private sector is exploring many possibilities in the space. The NISAR mission in collaboration with ISRO and NASA is going to be launched early next year, which is also seen as the beginning of far-reaching cooperation for both the space agencies.

Also Read: Explained: How ISRO will bring samples from the Moon through the Chandrayaan-4 mission?

If America succeeds in making India its ally, its power will be considered to have increased a lot. Why would America not want India to turn to Russia again to train astronauts like Gaganyaan? America has already seen the loss of India going with Russia during the Russia-Ukraine war. A tie-up between India and the US could take both countries far ahead in the space race.

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Tags: China, India, International Space Station, ISRO, NASA, Research, Science, space, USA