NEW DELHI: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Bill Nelson, on Tuesday, said that the United States is willing to working with India to construct its own space station.
Nelson, who arrived in India today, stated that India and the US are working on plans to send an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station by the end of next year.
“The selection of astronaut is determined by ISRO. NASA will not make the selection,” Nelson told a group of reporters here.
He also stated that the US would be ready to collaborate with India in building the space station if it so desires.
“We expect by that time to have a commercial space station. I think India wants to have a commercial space station by 2040. If India wants us to collaborate with them, of course, we will be available. But that’s up to India,” Nelson said.
Earlier today, Nelson met Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh and is scheduled to visit Mumbai for a meeting with business leaders in the space sector. He is also scheduled to visit the ISRO headquarters in Bangalore and also meet Indian astronaut Rakesh Sharma.
According to the statement released by NASA, administrator Nelson will also visit Bengaluru-based facilities where the NISAR spacecraft, a joint Earth-observing mission between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), is undergoing testing and integration for launch in 2024.
After India, Nelson will travel to UAE and will participate in the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, highlighting NASA’s role as a global leader in providing decision-makers with critical earth science data. It will be the first time a NASA administrator will have attended the conference.
(With inputs from PTI)