NASA payload may ride India146;s moon mission

In a recognition of India8217;s capabilities in space sciences, the US has evinced keen interest in placing a payload aboard India8217;s f...

In a recognition of India8217;s capabilities in space sciences, the US has evinced keen interest in placing a payload aboard India8217;s first spacecraft to the moon, the Chandrayan-I.

This, sources said, indicates that the odd mention of some Indian space entity8217;s alleged involvement in transgressing stringent US laws to obtain high-technology items, has far from impeded cooperation between both countries in this sector. On the contrary, the direction is positive.

A joint working group on space cooperation is expected to meet for the first time in mid-May.

This will open a new chapter in Indo-US space ties which did start on a positive note back in the early 1960s when the US help set up the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station.

Earlier this month, the Vikram Sarabhai Space Research Centre VSSRC was named as one of the beneficiaries of the illegal network run by South Africa-based Israeli businessman Asher Karni who has agreed to cooperate with US prosecutors. The VSSRC being on the US entities list is another point that is raised consistently in this connection.

But this hasn8217;t stopped the Johns Hopkins University to respond to ISRO8217;s invitation to carry a payload on Chandrayan-I, India8217;s first moon mission slated for launch in 2007-08. The miniature synthetic aperture radar instrument is from the university8217;s Applied Physics lab but is being set up in collaboration with NASA.

The US proposal is among the five shortlisted. It may be noted that VSSRC is one of ISRO8217;s entities and is actively involved in the Chandrayan project. That it is on the entities list of the US, official sources said, does not mean it cannot procure high-technology items but will have to go through a more stringent screening process.

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The US intent to place a payload on the Chandrayan is just the beginning of what officials believe could turn out to be a major area of cooperation between both countries in the future. This was identified as one of the four areas of cooperation flowing from the joint statement between India and the US in January 2004 that outlined the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership.

Seven months later in a high-profile conference of experts, diplomats and business representatives from both countries, a vision document was prepared that outlined the broad areas of cooperation. These included:

8226; Earth observation science, technology and related applications.

8226; Satellite communications technology and applications.

8226; Satellite navigation and applications.

8226; Earth and space science.

8226; Natural hazards and disaster management support.

8226; Education and training in space.