India Signing the Artemis Accords is a Historic Win for Space Exploration

upstart writes:

India signing the Artemis Accords is a historic win for space exploration:

A few days after Ecuador signed the Artemis Accords, India signed as well. Not only that, the United States and India will embark on a number of space cooperation initiatives, including a visit to the International Space Station by Indian astronauts.

India is one of the world's most advanced space powers, just behind the United States and China. Russia used to be second, behind the United States, but its status as any kind of space power has steadily deteriorated.

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has grown tremendously since its humble beginnings in the 1970s. With the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) (renamed as the Launch Vehicle Mark 3) India has its own launch industry and is therefore not dependent on foreign providers.

[...] All in all, India's space program is a burgeoning powerhouse that is returning value on a number of levels to that South Asia nation. But what does India gain by signing the Artemis Accords? What does NASA gain by the ISRO becoming a closer partner in the quest to return humans to the moon and eventually send them to Mars?

As Space News notes, India's joining the Artemis Accords is just part of an expanded space cooperation regime between that country and the United States. An Indian astronaut will, in short order, visit the International Space Station. India will gain expanded access to NASA technology. Ultimately, that country will be part of the greatest adventure humankind has ever undertaken, the Artemis return to the moon program, provided that Congress doesn't cripple or kill it for budget reasons.

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