ISRO, NASA to deepen space cooperation

India and the United States have agreed to expand cooperation in a spectrum of civil space activities from weather forecasting to space exploration and future missions to the moon and Mars.

Increased cooperation between US and India in commercial space exploration would create opportunities for companies of both the countries, according to an agreement signed on Friday.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) announced the agreement on Friday after a meeting of the US-India Civil Space Joint Working Group (CSJWG).

At the outset of the US-India Civil Space Joint Working Group meeting on Thursday, the US side said the lifting of curbs on ISRO entities and the subsequent measures taken by the NASA presented opportunities for both the countries.

The two sides have further expanded the possibilities for US-India trade and cooperation in civil space during ISRO's `Chandrayan' mission, 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, adding that India's first Mars Orbiter Mission, slated for October 2013, is an exciting opportunity for US-India collaboration.

He said the National Defence Authorisation Act, signed by President Barack Obama into law in January, includes satellite export reform measures that could expedite trade in space technology.

NASA administrator Charles Bolden and representatives of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) also addressed the meeting.

 ''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 also referred to the US-India Science and Technology Endowment Fund, established in 2009 with an annual grant of $2 to $3 million, has helped commercialise 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.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said relationship between NASA and ISRO has been strengthening and that NASA has been quite satisfied with the assignments with ISRO and intends to strengthen that relationship over time.

"Earth observation data and information yield a broad range of societal benefits, and through cooperation between our agencies, we've embarked on a number of collaborative activities in this area", said Bolden.

Bolden said the two sides should find ways of improving collaboration so that it could be taken to the next level.

The CSJWG agreed to continue discussions in planetary science and Heliophysics to identify areas of potential cooperation. The two asides exchanged information on a range of space and other policy issues and noted ongoing efforts to open up new opportunities for collaboration.