The United States has begun making the case for increased cooperation in commercial space exploration with India, saying it would create opportunities for American and Indian companies.
At a meeting of the US-India Civil Space Joint Working Group that began here on Thursday, a senior US official spoke of the opportunities presented by the US’s removal of ISRO subordinate units from the Entity list two years ago and the additional measures taken since.
These steps have further expanded the possibilities for US-India trade and cooperation in civil space, said Geoffrey Pyatt, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia at the State Department.
“Our very capable space science communities have much to offer each other through collaboration,” he said, noting that India’s first Indian Mars Orbiter Mission, slated for October 2013, is an exciting opportunity for US-India collaboration.
Pyatt pointed out that the National Defence Authorisation Act, signed by President Barack Obama into law in January, includes satellite export reform measures expected to expedite trade in space technology.
NASA administrator Charles Bolden and representatives of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) joined US officials in the talks with the Indian delegation.
“The United States and India are leaders in earth observation. We’re excited to see how this working group can build on joint activities using US and Indian earth observation satellites to better understand earth systems and provide information to improve economies and lives,” he said.
Pyatt termed the US-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund, established in 2009 with an annual budget of $2 to $3 million, a landmark for joint efforts to promote commercialisation of innovative technologies.
“The hard work on both sides in transforming our interactions with each other has allowed successes such as including US instruments on India’s Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission — a path-finding step to show our two systems how to work together,” he said.