US to enhance space cooperation with India

The US is looking up to India as a "great" up and coming space-faring nation.

Washington: Looking to India as a
"great" up and coming space-faring nation, the US said its
newly announced space policy attached "vital" importance to
enhance cooperation with that country.

"By and large, we are looking to India as a great up and
coming space-faring nation to work with us," Peter Marquez,
Director of Space Policy, at the National Security Council,
told reporters at a conference call after the White House
unveiled the new National Space Policy.

The new policy is designed to strengthen US` leadership
in space and putting emphasis on greater cooperation with
India in this field.

"We see that there`s great potential there and we would
love nothing more to continue to build upon the great
foundation we have with India and expand that cooperation,"
Marquez said. Despite the fact that the Indian Space Research
Organization (ISRO) is in the entities list, NASA collaborated
with ISRO through the Chandrayan-I that detected water on the
moon.

India has demanded that ISRO be removed from the
entities list that poses a major hurdle in the space
co-operation between the two countries.

Marquez said US President Barack Obama has discussed
with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on issues related to
space cooperation between the two countries.

"Cooperation with India is vitally important to as we go
forward in a variety of areas -- not just in the civil space
-- you know, in NASA area where we have had cooperation, but
also in the climate change and earth observation area," he
said.

"We will look for greater cooperation there. We do
understand there may be areas in national security where we`re
going to have discussions with India," he said in response to
a question.

Meanwhile, a senior administration official said the
United States consulted with several countries including India
on its new space policy.

"I think we`re in the early stages right now, but we
look very much forward to beginning a dialogue with India and
other emerging space nations," the official told reporters.

In a statement after the White House unveiled the basic
contours of the new space policy, Obama said, "This policy is
about the boundless possibilities of the future."

"That is why we seek to spur a burgeoning commercial
space industry, to rapidly increase our capabilities in space
while bolstering America`s competitive edge in the global
economy," he said.

He said the administration is proposing improved
observation of the earth, to gain new insights into the
environment and the planet.

Another senior administration official noted that there
has been a healthy dialogue with India already and the goal
would be to continue that.

"So with respect to specific programmes or what have
you that we might consider, that`s something that we would
need to discuss."

"But I think the idea is to build in the foundation that
already exists," he said in response to a question.

PTI

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