India for international synergy in space missions

India Monday called for international synergy in space missions for low-cost access to space resources and planetary explorations. "I would call for international synergy in space missions to reduce the cost of access to space resources and in exploring the inter-planetary solar system," state-run Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K. Radhakrishnan said at the space summit here, about 150 km from Bangalore.

Unveiling India's space vision for this decade at a round table meeting of the leading space-faring nations on 'Space Vision 2020 - And Beyond', Radhakrishnan said ISRO was looking for collaborations with other space agencies to jointly launch a variety of missions to optimally utilise space assets and explore the universe.

"As space missions are cost prohibitive and require enormous human and associated resources to pursue our common objectives and goals, collaborating and partnering will be a win-win for all stakeholders," Radhakrishnan said on the inaugural day of the 39th Scientific Assembly of the Committee on Space Research (Cospar 2012) being held here.

Indian Space Research Organsiation

Noting that low-cost access to space was the way for future missions due to budgetary constraints and other limitations, the rocket scientist said safety and security of space-based assets were equally important for sharing the benefits of their applications to improve the quality of life on earth and to fulfil the quest of humankind in knowing the universe.

"Though the hallmark of the Indian space programme is based on the vision of its founding fathers, which is people-centric with emphasis on self-reliance in space technologies, sustaining and enriching it (vision) are our endeavour," the chairman asserted. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) director M.S. Allen from the US, Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) deputy director Richard Bonneville from France, German Space Research and Technology Centre executive H. Dittus, Canadian Space Agency director-general D. Kendall, Italian Space Agency president E. Saggese, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) research director Masato Nakamura and Brazilian Space Agency chairman Thyrso Villela spoke at the two-hour-long session.

IANS