The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has entered a significant new phase of collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) by signing a Technical Implementing Plan (TIP) on December 4.
This agreement will enable ESA to provide essential ground tracking support for India’s ambitious Gaganyaan human spaceflight missions, marking a step forward in global cooperation in space exploration.
The TIP was signed by Dr Anilkumar A K, Director of the Indian Space Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) from ISRO, and Dietmar Pilz, Director of Technology, Engineering, and Quality at ESA.
The event took place at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) and was attended by ISRO Chairman Dr Somanath S and Didier van der Hasselt, Belgium’s Ambassador to India.
ISRO celebrated the moment by highlighting the significance of the agreement, stating that it represents a key step for ensuring seamless orbital operations and data continuity during Gaganyaan missions.
The plan formalises ESA’s role in providing ground station support for the Gaganyaan missions. This support will be critical for maintaining continuous communication and data flow between Earth and the Orbital Module, which is vital for monitoring and conducting orbital operations.
The partnership underscores the long-standing collaborative relationship between ISRO and ESA, which has already facilitated the success of several past missions.
The Gaganyaan project is India’s pioneering effort to demonstrate human spaceflight capabilities. It aims to send a crew of three astronauts to an orbit of 400 kilometres for a three-day mission, with their safe return to Earth planned through a landing in Indian waters.
This ambitious endeavour is a significant milestone for India in its journey towards becoming a major player in global space exploration.
In another milestone for ISRO, the organisation successfully launched the PSLV-C59/PROBA-3 mission on December 3. The mission deployed ESA’s satellites with precision, demonstrating India’s growing role in global space innovation.
The PSLV-C59 vehicle carried the Proba-3 spacecraft into a highly elliptical orbit as part of a dedicated commercial mission led by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). The success of the launch was a testament to the collaborative efforts of ISRO, NSIL, and ESA.
The Proba-3 mission is ESA’s first precision formation-flying mission. It involves two satellites operating in a coordinated, fixed configuration to simulate a single rigid structure in space.
This innovative approach showcases advanced formation-flying and rendezvous technologies, which have wide-ranging applications in future space missions.
The TIP agreement between ISRO and ESA is a reflection of the growing emphasis on international collaboration in space research.
Both organisations have committed to expanding their cooperative activities in the coming years.
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