BENGALURU: Strengthening its international space cooperation further, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) signed an agreement focusing on astronaut training, mission implementation, and research experiments with the European Space Agency (ESA).
According to Isro, the collaboration establishes a comprehensive framework for joint activities in human space exploration, with particular emphasis on astronaut training programmes and research initiatives. Under the agreement, both agencies will work together on experiment development and integration, including access to ESA’s facilities on the International Space Station (ISS). The partnership also encompasses human and biomedical research implementation, alongside coordinated education and outreach activities.
The immediate focus of this collaboration will be the upcoming Axiom-4 mission, which will feature both an Isro astronaut and an ESA astronaut as crew members. “The agencies are already working together to implement experiments designed by Indian Principal Investigators aboard the ISS. Additionally, plans are underway for Indian participation in ESA’s human physiological studies and technology demonstration experiments,” Isro said.
Somanath highlighted Isro’s strategic roadmap for human spaceflight activities, noting that the recent approval of India’s own space station, the Bhartiya Antriksh Station (BAS), opens new possibilities for developing interoperability between human spaceflight platforms. ESA Director-General Josef Aschbacher stressed the agreement’s importance as a foundation for future cooperation. Isro added: “…Further, participation in ESA’s human physiological studies, technology demonstration experiments as well as joint educational outreach activities are also being pursued.”
Earlier this month, Isro and ESA signed a Technical Implementing Plan (TIP) to enable ESA to provide critical ground tracking support for India’s Gaganyaan missions. The support through the Technical Implementing Plan will ensure uninterrupted data flow and communication with the Orbital Module, crucial for monitoring and conducting orbital operations.
These agreements are not standalone but a continuation of the long-standing cooperative relationship between the two space agencies. Both of them have a proven track record of supporting each other in numerous successful space missions.
