PM Modi-Biden Bonhomie Propels NASA-ISRO Towards Moon, Mars And Beyond

In another significant development, India will join the Artemis Accords, a framework of legal options that opens up collaboration on space exploration in a big way.

India's first mission to the International Space Station, in collaboration with the US, was among the highlights of the agreements between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday.

President Biden said the US would fly an Indian astronaut on the International Space Station in 2024. In another significant development, India will join the Artemis Accords, a framework of legal options that opens up collaboration on space exploration in a big way.

India has selected four male test pilots from the Indian Air Force as part of the first astronaut corps, say sources, But these have been trained on Russian systems.

Whether one of these four that have been already selected will fly on the Space X or Boeing's Star Liner rockets or a new person will be selected will need to be decided very soon. The possibility of an Indian woman astronaut heading to space is also now wide open in an Indian and American election year. It makes for great optics for both the democracies.