In recent news, discussions have been held regarding the cooperation between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). These deliberations focused on aspects such as earth observation, lunar cooperation, and satellite navigation.
Exploring Opportunities for Cooperation
ISRO and JAXA intend to explore areas where their collaboration could be beneficial. Among these are “space situational awareness and professional exchange programme”. The agencies also formalised their intentions by signing an Implementing Arrangement. This plan details collaborative activities associated with monitoring rice crop area and air quality using satellite data.
India and Japan are not new to cooperative ventures in space research. They are currently working on a joint lunar polar exploration mission, LUPEX, which aims to send a lander and rover to the Moon’s south pole around 2024.
Agreements with Other Countries
Apart from their relationship with Japan, India is also keen on exploring similar opportunities with other countries. For example, India and Italy are looking into potentials in earth observation, space science, and robotic and human exploration. Moreover, India and Australia have broadened the scope of their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This move aims to enhance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between both countries.
Discussions are also ongoing about the possibility of Australia hosting essential tracking infrastructure. This would support the Gaganyaan manned space flight mission, a significant project undertaken by ISRO.
Achievements Through International Cooperation
ISRO’s maiden mission to the Moon, Chandrayaan-1, was a notable example of successful international collaboration. It gained numerous national and international accolades and led to groundbreaking discoveries. In collaboration with NASA, ISRO discovered water molecules on the moon surface, a feat previously unattained.
Additionally, ISRO has had successful joint satellite missions with France. The MEGHA-TROPIQUES was a joint venture launched in 2011 to study the tropical atmosphere and climate-related aspects. The SARAL (Satellite for ALTIKA and ARGOS) mission was launched in 2013 to study the ocean from space using altimetry.
NISAR
The NISAR (NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is a joint satellite mission undertaken by ISRO and NASA for earth science studies. This project aims to monitor Earth and measure changes in its ecosystem and masses globally. It is recognized as the world’s most expensive imaging-satellite, with plans to launch it by 2022.
Capacity Building Programmes
UNNATI (UNispace Nanosatellite Assembly & Training by ISRO) is a capacity building programme on nano satellite development launched by ISRO. This initiative was rolled out to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the first United Nations conference on the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space (UNISPACE+50).
TRISHNA
ISRO and the French space agency CNES are working together to develop advanced upgrade satellites such as TRISHNA. This project is aimed at monitoring the water cycle, which is vital for finding optimal methods for proper utilization.
