India and the US will again hop-skip and jump in space
In a unique first, India and the US are choreographing a new chapter in global space exploration - an Indian and four American astronauts are working shoulder-to-shoulder at humanity's largest human outpost outside Earth. The symbolism of the world's oldest democracy, the US, and the world's largest democracy, India, together at the space station is a unique tango or 'jugalbandi'. Stars, stripes, and the tricolour - Can India and the US align in orbit?
The surrealism of this first-of-its-kind alignment of stars could become a milestone for humanity if US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi seize the opportunity and hold an Indo-US summit via a space bridge, and what better way than to do it on July 4, US' Independence Day.
Space offers freedom from all borders as we know it on Earth. India's abiding philosophy of 'vasudhaiva kutumbakam' or the world is one family could echo across the universe if PM Modi and Mr Trump, who together represent and lead a population of nearly two billion, reach for the stars together and address the world using space as a great unifier.
Astronauts from India and the United States are currently working side by side aboard the International Space Station (ISS), marking a significant milestone in global space collaboration. This unprecedented moment not only showcases the technological prowess of both nations but also symbolises the strengthening ties between the world's oldest democracy and the world's largest.
In the next few weeks, India and the US will again hop-skip and jump in space as both ISRO and NASA get ready to launch the NISAR satellite from Sriharikota.
The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar Satellite (NISAR) has been jointly made, and its biggest claim to fame is that it is the world's single most expensive civilian Earth imaging satellite ever to be made and costs upwards of $1.2 billion. It is currently ready, sitting in ISRO's clean room awaiting the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) to take it into space from Sriharikota.
The NISAR satellite is a game-changing, life-saving satellite as it will help monitor the Earth's health and clock upcoming disasters. This is the first-ever big-time satellite collaboration between NASA and ISRO.
Incidentally, till recently, ISRO and in fact India were always shunned and denied technology, and sanctions were the name of the game until the inking of the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal changed the chemistry between the two nations. From the doghouse to scripting history together, the journey of the Indo-US friendship in the last two decades is just breathtaking.
In 2008, India opened its heart out and gave American instruments a free ride to the Moon on Chandrayaan-1. It was this Indo-American collaboration that rewrote lunar geological history once and for all by Chandrayaan-1, making the startling discovery of the presence of water molecules on the parched lunar surface.
It was India's sub-$100 million Chandrayaan-1 which, in a way, opened the floodgates (pun intended) for the world to look at the Moon with new, moist eyes, so much so that now there is a new gold rush to reach the south pole of the Moon.
India again pioneered reaching nearest to the south pole of the Moon by sending the lander Vikram, as part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission in 2023. Today, India has also inked the Artemis Accords so that the Indo-US friendship can together explore and permanently inhabit the Moon's surface sooner rather than later.
The current friendship mission, the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), which is sometimes also referred to as Mission Akash Ganga, launched on June 25 from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. It includes Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and veteran American astronaut Peggy Whitson, alongside astronauts from Poland and Hungary. This was India's first human spaceflight mission in over four decades and its debut participation in a private mission to the ISS.
Group Captain Shukla already exclaimed from the ISS that he sees no borders from his vantage point in space.
The space station already has three other NASA astronauts - Nicole Ayers, Anne McClain, and Jonny Kim on board. The commander of the ISS is Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and the space lab is also home to Roscosmos cosmonauts Kirill Peskov, Sergey Ryzhikov, and Alexey Zubritsky.
In all six, countries are represented at the space station among the Space-11 who call ISS their home today.
This Axiom-4 collaboration stems from a landmark agreement signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visit to Washington in June 2023. The joint statement between India and the US committed to sending an Indian astronaut to the ISS, a promise now fulfilled through the combined efforts of NASA, ISRO, and Axiom Space.
"This is a very special occasion," said George Weinmann, an American aerospace engineer and investor. "To have Group Captain Shukla and one of our most respected astronauts, Peggy Whitson, together on the ISS is a testament to the vision shared by Indian and American leadership. A joint address by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the astronauts and the world could be a powerful symbol of unity and inspiration."
The timing of the mission adds to its symbolic weight. With the US Independence Day on July 4 approaching, there is growing speculation about a potential joint communication from the two leaders to the astronauts aboard the ISS.
Such a gesture could serve as a "space bridge" between the two democracies, reinforcing their shared values and aspirations.
"This mission is not just about science," said Weinmann. "It's about diplomacy, inspiration, and the shared human quest to explore beyond our planet. A joint celebration on July 4 would be a fitting tribute to what these two nations can achieve together."
The mission also has commercial implications. Axiom Space expressed interest in using Indian launch vehicles for future missions, and Indian astronauts have trained at NASA facilities. This deepening cooperation signals a new chapter in Indo-US space relations, with potential for joint exploration, technology sharing, and commercial ventures.
As the world watches this celestial collaboration unfold, the message is clear: space is a great unifier. Whether through science, diplomacy, or shared dreams, the stars are aligning for India and the United States to reach new heights - together. After all 'yeh dil maange more'!
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