India, US to expand space collaboration to address global security threats

India and the United States are set to broaden their joint space exploration efforts to include the domain of national security, aiming to address shared global threats.

Chirag Parikh, Executive Secretary of the US National Space Council, highlighted this development during a media briefing in the US on Wednesday. He first outlined the current scope of collaboration before stating, “Finally, our cooperation will expand into other areas, potentially even into national security, as we work together to combat threats manifesting across the globe.”

Parikh emphasised the limitless potential of the partnership, stating, “The opportunity between India and the US literally has no bounds, no limits, and can reach the edge of the universe.” He was joined at the briefing by US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and White House Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer. Earlier in the day, the trio, along with Indian Ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra, visited NASA’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston, Texas.

A White House statement detailed the delegation’s meeting with representatives from NASA, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and space industry leaders to explore new avenues for strengthening the space partnership.

The US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET), launched in July 2023, identifies space as a key domain for collaboration. During their discussions in Houston, the Indo-US team reviewed upcoming joint initiatives, including cooperation on human spaceflight and a specialised joint satellite mission.

Regarding human spaceflight, the White House revealed that two ISRO astronauts are currently training at NASA’s Johnson Space Centre. This training is part of the first joint mission involving American and Indian astronauts aboard the International Space Station, slated for spring 2025 under the “Axiom-4” mission.

The two sides also assessed progress on the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, scheduled for launch in early 2025. According to the White House, “The NISAR satellite integrates two radars — one from NASA and one from ISRO — to map the Earth’s surface motion twice every 12 days, aiding in hazard prediction, resource management and infrastructure monitoring.”

Finer underscored the growing cooperation, stating, “We’re increasingly working together to build a cooperative partnership in space.”

India’s space partnership with the US has deepened since signing the Artemis Accords in June 2022. Based on the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the non-binding accords promote sustainable civil space exploration.

Finer also announced plans to revise US export control policies under the Missile Technology Control Regime. He explained, “The goal is to advance commercial space cooperation even further with close partners like India.”