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NASA Agrees To Cooperate with India on Lunar Mission

09 May 2006

Two scientific instruments will launch with Chandrayaan-1 in 2008

Washington -- NASA will have two scientific instruments on India's maiden voyage to the moon, according to a May 9 NASA press release.

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin and his counterpart, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman G. Madhavan Nair, signed two memoranda of understanding in Bangalore, India, for cooperation on India's Chandrayaan-1 mission.

"It is my hope and belief that as we extend the reach of human civilization throughout the solar system,” Griffin said at a May 9 ceremony in Bangalore, “the United States and India will be partners on many more technically challenging and scientifically rewarding projects."

Griffin is touring ISRO facilities and will visit its satellite development center, launch vehicle production center and launch site.

"I very much look forward to the opportunity to see first hand India's impressive space facilities,” he said, “to meet with your scientists and engineers and to learn more about your remarkable work."

Chandrayaan-1, a lunar orbiter, is expected to launch in late 2007 or early 2008. It is an international mission with payloads from Europe and the United States.

NASA's contribution includes the Moon Mineralogy Mapper, which is designed to assess mineral resources of the moon.  A second NASA instrument, Mini-SAR, will look for ice deposits in the moon's polar regions.

Data from the two instruments will contribute to NASA's increased understanding of the lunar environment as it implements the Vision for Space Exploration, which calls for robotic and human exploration of the moon's surface.

Additional information about the Vision for Space Exploration is available at the NASA Web site, as is the full text of the press release.

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)