India, France to work together on inter-planetary missions

NEW DELHI: Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and French space agency (Centre National D'Etudes Spatiales —CNES) are working together on inter-planetary missions like Mars, Venus and asteroid projects. The collaboration on interplanetary missions is part of the joint vision for space cooperation which India and France agreed upon during signing of an MoU last month.
“Isro and CNES will work together on autonomous navigation of rovers in Moon, Mars and other planets, aero-braking technologies for planetary exploration and modelling of Mars and Venus atmosphere and inflatable systems for Venus exploration,” says the vision document.
Talking to TOI, Isro chairman Dr K Sivan said, “Yes, we have agreed to collaborate with French space agency CNES for inter-planetary missions. The vision document signed in March is an umbrella agreement. Based on our specific requirement for inter-planetary missions, we can have further interaction with CNES for joint collaboration.” However, the chairman clarified that “Chandrayaan-2 mission (scheduled for launch in October first week) is totally a desi mission with no foreign agency involvement”.
Amid the space agreement with France, Isro has started shortlisting scientific payloads for the Mars Orbiter Mission-2 (MOM-2) mission. The scientific payloads for the Red planet mission were submitted to the Indian space agency in response to its 2016 Announcement of Opportunity (AO) inviting institutes and space organisations to submit suggestions or studies on planetary explorations for the next MOM-2 mission.
The chairman said, “Based on Isro’s Announcement of Opportunity for the MOM-2 mission, we have shortlisted some scientific payloads. We will study these payloads and then configure a spacecraft for the Mars-2 mission. Currently, there is no plan for collaboration with CNES for this mission. However, we may consider joint cooperation with CNES for the MOM-2 mission later.”
On November 5, 2013, Isro had launched the first Mars mission, becoming the first Asian nation to reach the Mars orbit and the first country in the world to do so in first attempt.
This is not the first time India and France are collaborating on space missions. The Indo-French cooperation is over six decades old. France has not only helped India in providing technical assistance in developing space technologies like cryogenic engine, it has been launching India’s heavier satellites weighing over four tonne. The upcoming launch of Gsat-11 communication satellite weighing 5,725 kg will also be done from the French Guiana spaceport.
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