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Washington event highlights India, U.S. space collaboration
Astronauts Sunita williams and Shubhanshu Shukla participated in a panel discussion reflecting on their experience aboard the ISS earlier this year.
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Staff Reporter - Wed, 17, Sep 2025
- 15:38 EDT
- 18
Sunita Williams, Nick Hague and Butch Wilmore were joined by Shubhanshu Shukla virtually / X (@IndianEmbassyUS)
The Embassy of India in Washington hosted an event on Sept. 15 that highlighted the expanding partnership between India and the United States in the field of space exploration.
The event, titled “India-USA Space Collaboration: The Frontiers of a Futuristic Partnership,” highlighted recent accomplishments and future aspirations in the fields of human spaceflight and Earth observation.
Also Read: US, India launch powerful Earth-monitoring satellite
Space agency officials, scientists, industry leaders and academics gathered to celebrate achievements such as the launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite and the Axiom Mission-4, which carried Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station earlier this year.
Butch Wilmore, Sunita Williams, Vinay Kwatra, Karen St. Germain and Nick Hague / X (@IndianEmbassyUS)Ambassador of India to the United States Vinay Kwatra said the partnership’s strength lies in both legacy and future potential, noting that government-to-government engagement alongside private sector participation would be essential for upcoming missions. “These achievements are not just symbolic; they represent the expanding horizon of what our nations can do together,” he remarked.
The NISAR satellite, launched from India’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre in July, is expected to provide high-resolution data for at least three years, tracking changes in ecosystems, glaciers, land deformation and natural hazards. NASA officials noted that the mission is designed to advance climate science and improve disaster preparedness through freely available data.
NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, Nick Hague and Butch Wilmore were joined by India’s Gaganyatri(Astronaut) Shubhanshu Shukla for a panel discussion at India House where they shared their personal, experiences in space and evolutions in space travel. The event underscored the… pic.twitter.com/Y2CW9Su7EP
— India in USA (@IndianEmbassyUS) September 17, 2025
Karen St. Germain, Director of NASA’s Earth Science Division, delivered a keynote address titled “Observing Together with NISAR”, highlighting the mission’s significance in pooling resources and expertise from both agencies.
Human spaceflight was also in focus, with NASA astronauts Sunita Williams, Nick Hague and Butch Wilmore joining Shukla in a panel discussion titled “Moments in Orbit”. Sharing their experiences from space, the astronauts reflected on the personal and professional challenges of life aboard the ISS and the rapid evolution of human space travel.
The event also pointed to India’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission, slated for 2027, and the ways in which lessons from Shukla’s flight could support future astronaut training and mission design. Officials emphasized that cooperation in space is increasingly strategic, with opportunities for commercial industry and joint missions to the Moon and Mars.
Speakers concluded that the India-U.S. partnership in space has moved beyond symbolic gestures to substantive collaboration, combining technical capability, scientific ambition and mutual trust to chart the next phase of exploration beyond Earth.
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