India believes cooperation with Russia is important for space program development - minister Singh

NEW DELHI, August 13. /TASS/. Deepening of cooperation with Russia will facilitate expansion of the India’s space program, India’s Minister of State for Development of North-Eastern Region, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space Dr. Jitendra Singh said on Thursday. "Expansion of space cooperation between India and Russia is likely to benefit ISRO [Indian Space Research Organization] in further consolidation and augmentation of its space programme in various domains including space exploration," the minister said during the parliament hearings. ISRO and Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos signed a memorandum of understanding in May 2015 for the purpose of broadening cooperation. The memorandum "provides scope for developing joint activities in areas of mutual interest, including satellite navigation; launch vehicle development; critical technologies for human spaceflight programme; remote sensing of Earth; space science and planetary exploration; and use of ground infrastructure," Singh said. "Joint projects, sharing of expertise and resources, development of space systems and components, exchange of scientists, training and scientific and technical meetings are listed out as the forms of cooperation on the above areas," the minister added. At the same time, "no transfer of space technology" by Russia is provided in the memorandum of understanding, Singh said. Read more