Gaganyaan mission: India-France sign agreement for cooperation

 

ISRO has asked CNES to help prepare for the Gaganyaan mission.

India and France aerospace agencies on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding with the world's first human space mission Gaganyaan, France's space center CNES said.

The agreement was announced during a visit by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) headquarters.

ISRO has asked CNES to help prepare Gaganyaan's deployment and act as one of Europe's leading contacts on the site.
"In accordance with the terms of the agreement, CNES will train Indian aerospace engineers and CAPCOM equipment control teams in France at the CADMOS centre for the development of microgravity applications and space operations at CNES in Toulouse and at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany," the CNES stated.

The agreement provides for the CNES to coordinate and support implementation of a scientific experiment plan on validation missions, exchange info on food packaging and the nutrition programmes, and above all the use by Indian astronauts of French equipment, consumables and medical tools.French equipment developed by CNES, tested and operational in the International Space Station (ISS) will be available to Indian engineers.

Thomas Pesquet, who is expected to make his second flight to the International Space Station on April 22 for Alpha purposes, had previously tested the devices in his first spaceflight.

CNES will also provide fireproof bags in France to protect equipment from shock and radiation, it said.

"This partnership could be extended in the future by Nvespace-like aeronautics and space training aircraft, as well as technical support for the construction of a space training center in Bangalore," CNES said.

The Gaganyaan orbital spacecraft project was launched in August 2018. It originally intended to send astronauts from Indian soil to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India's independence in 2022.

However, transmission has been delayed due to restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus epidemic.