Article Posted on : - Jul 20, 2011

The International Space Station

NEW DELHI (PTI): India and the US may soon collaborate on experiments to be conducted on the orbital observatory -- International Space Station (ISS).

"Recognising the research opportunities available on the International Space Station, both sides agreed to explore the possibilities of joint experiments," said a joint statement signed after the 2nd India-US Strategic Dialogue co-chaired by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and External Affairs Minister S M Krishna.

Top officials of NASA and ISRO also reviewed potential areas for future cooperation in earth observation, space exploration, space sciences and satellite navigation, it said.

The two sides also agreed to speed up finalization of three new implementing arrangements for sharing satellite data on oceans and global weather patterns, a long-pending demand of India which needs the information for monsoon forecasting.

India and the US also signed an agreement that would enable cooperation in research on the fundamental particles that make up the universe.

"The US Department of Energy and India's Department of Atomic Energy signed an Implementing Agreement on Discovery Science that provides the framework for cooperation in accelerator and particle detector research and development at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, and Brookhaven National Laboratory," the statement said.