Moon, Mars And Beyond: India, Europe Enter New Era Of Space Cooperation

Even as Indian and European space agencies continue prepare astronauts since a year for the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), the two are forging new frontiers in space cooperation.

In a conversation with NDTV, Dr Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), outlined the deepening collaboration between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and European Space Agency (ESA) as both are cooperating in space exploration, human spaceflight and satellite launches. A historic joint statement signed this month between ESA and ISRO marks a new chapter in bilateral space cooperation. ESA's annual budget is estimated to be about $7.91 billion compared to ISRO's budget of $1.6 billion.

A Legacy Of Collaboration

ESA and ISRO's partnership dates back to 1978, with informal ties stretching even earlier to 1971. Over the decades, the two agencies have worked together on Earth observation, ground station support and lunar missions like Chandrayaan. Notably, Dr Aschbacher highlighted that ESA's ground stations were the first to receive data from Chandrayaan-3's historic soft landing near the Moon's South Pole in August 2023, even before Indian officials were informed. India used a global network of stations to receive the telemetry data.

Human Spaceflight And The Axiom 4 Mission

The collaboration is now entering a new phase with human spaceflight. ESA and ISRO are jointly participating in the upcoming Axiom-4 mission, scheduled for June. The mission will feature an Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla flying alongside ESA project astronaut Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, from Poland. Both will conduct a record number of scientific experiments during a two-week stay aboard the ISS. "This will be the most science-intensive Axiom mission to date," said Dr Aschbacher, expressing excitement about the joint experiment and the symbolic significance of the mission.

Photo Credit: Axiom Space

Toward A Shared Future In Space Stations

India's aims to build its own Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) aligns with ESA's long-term vision for low Earth orbit infrastructure. The newly signed statement of intent opens the door for ESA to contribute to BAS through cargo return services, shared equipment, and potentially even joint astronaut missions. "There is a huge possibility of great cooperation," said Dr Aschbacher. "We are at the beginning of this process, but I am very committed to making it work for the benefit of both."

Launch Partnerships And Technological Trust

ESA recently entrusted India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) with the launch of its Proba-3 mission, a dual-satellite formation flying experiment designed to study the Sun's corona by simulating an artificial solar eclipse. The mission was launched with high precision, earning praise from Dr Aschbacher for ISRO's engineering excellence.

"Thank you, India, for a high performance launch," he said, noting that the mission's first eclipse observations are expected in the coming weeks.

Ariane 6 And The Competitive Launch Market

Reflecting on the retirement of Europe's heavy lift launcher - the Ariane 5 rocket - and the delayed debut of Ariane 6, Aschbacher acknowledged the challenges ESA faced during its "launcher crisis." However, he expressed pride in Ariane 6's successful maiden flight and its potential to compete with SpaceX's Falcon 9. He emphasised that while SpaceX offers low prices internationally, domestic pricing tells a different story. ESA's strategy, he said, is to ensure Europe's guaranteed access to space while also capturing commercial opportunities-such as the deal with Amazon's Kuiper project.

Micro-Launchers And Indian Startups

ESA is also investing in micro-launchers through its European Launcher Challenge. While ESA has not yet partnered with Indian start-ups, Aschbacher expressed openness to collaboration, especially with Indian companies currently developing suborbital and small-payload launchers. "These start-ups could grow into medium and heavy launch providers," he said, hinting at future cooperation.

The Long View: Moon, Mars And Beyond

Looking ahead, both India and ESA have ambitious roadmaps - India aims to land an astronaut on the Moon by 2040, while ESA is exploring long-term lunar and Martian, human and robotic endeavours, opening up several opportunities for cooperation. Dr Aschbacher likened this era of space exploration to the age of maritime discovery, calling the Moon "our eighth continent." He emphasised the importance of international cooperation, shared values and mutual benefit in achieving these goals.

A Message To Prime Minister Modi

When asked for a message for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr Aschbacher said, "I am really grateful for the excellent cooperation we have between India and ESA. India is already a great space power, and your path to the future is very impressive. I look forward to exploring future opportunities together."