In the domain of space explorations, the space agency Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is credited with AstroSat, Mangalyaan Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2. Now moving forward, ISRO is all set to launch its first Venus mission “Shukrayaan-1” in 2025 with participation of French space agency CNES (National Centre for Space Studies; French: Centre national d’etudes spatiales) .
- In this regard, ISRO has selected the VIRAL (Venus Infrared Atmospheric Gases Linker) instrument co-developed with the Russian federal space agency Roscosmos and the LATMOS (Atmospheres, Milieux, Observations Spatiales Laborator) attached to the CNRS.
- Notably this will be the first time a French payload will be flown on an Indian exploration mission.
- Apart from France, the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) is also participating in this mission. Through Shukrayaan-1 it will explore Venus for the second time through its satellite instrument Venusian Neutrals Analyzer (VNA).
- The decision of French coordination on Venus mission was taken during the meeting between ISRO Chairman Kailasavadivoo (K) Sivan and President of France’s CNES Jean-Yves Le Gall on September 30, 2020.
Other Indo-French Collaborations on Space:
–In August 2019, CNES and ISRO committed to develop the first space-based system in the world capable of tracking ships continuously by building satellites carrying telecommunications and radar and optical remote-sensing instruments. The satellites will monitor ships in the Indian Ocean.
–CNES and ISRO are operating a number of climate-monitoring satellites together. The upcoming is TRISHNA (Thermal infraRed Imaging Satellite for High resolution Natural resource Assessment), which will provide continuous thermal monitoring at high resolution.
-In December 2019, the Argos-4 Payload Module set to fly on the Oceansat-3 satellite, another major collaboration between the two nations, arrived in India.
–In March 2018, the two countries issued a ‘Joint Vision for Space Cooperation’.
-Both nations are also working on ISRO’s human space mission Gaganyaan project, which aims to send three Indians to space by 2022.
Recent Related News:
i.On 25th August 2020, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) with Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), Burla, Odisha, a technical institute, to set up the first of its kind innovation cum incubation centre, VSSUT Space Innovation Centre(VSSSIC) in India to promote space research.
ii.Team of researchers of Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru, Karnataka and ISRO developed a sustainable process for making brick-like structures named “Space Bricks” on the surface of the moon. The process uses the lunar soil, bacteria and guar beans to make the space brick.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO):
Headquarters– Bangalore, Karnataka
Secretary Department of Space (DoS)– Kailasavadivoo (K) Sivan
About France:
Capital– Paris
Currencies– Euro, CFP franc
President– Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frederic Macron
