Space & Aviation Cooperation in U.S. India Strtegic Dialogue

July 19, 2011 at 9:41 am | Posted in Aviation Law, Space Law | Leave a comment

by P.J. Blount with the the blog faculty

The State Department has released a series of Fact Sheets relating to the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue. Space Cooperation appears in the Fact Sheet on U.S.-India Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation:

U.S.-India Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation

Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
July 19, 2011 . . .

. . . Space

Indian Space Research Organization: The United States and India are committed to building closer ties in space exploration, space science and earth observation. Both countries are dedicated to using their space programs to expand the frontiers of scientific knowledge and produce tangible benefits for their populations. The removal of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and subordinate agencies from the Entities List in February 2011marked a significant step in eliminating remaining barriers to greater cooperation in space exploration and research.

Civil Space Working Group: By exchanging and utilizing satellite-based scientific data about the Earth, its climate, weather, and geophysical features, the United States and India are working together to share information on tropical weather, monsoon forecasting and climate change. At the July 13-14 Civil Space Working Group, the two countries took steps towards their cooperation in this area by concluding substantive discussion on Oceansat-II and Megha-Tropiques missions, which will help the countries refine scientific models and improve understanding of global weather patterns.

And Aviation Cooperation appears in the fact sheet on Prosperity:

Prosperity

Fact Sheet
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
July 19, 2011 . . .

. . . Aviation Cooperation: The two governments signed a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) on July 18. The BASA advances aviation safety and promotes regulatory efficiencies by creating a framework for cooperation between the FAA and India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). This BASA with India, a rapidly growing aviation market, reflects the United States and India’s mutual commitment to the development of a safe and secure global transportation infrastructure.

Under our ongoing U.S.-India Aviation Cooperation Program (ACP), the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and the Airports Authority of India announced their commitment to a Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS) pilot satellite navigation project at Chennai International Airport. Through the ACP, USTDA will host the third U.S.-India Aviation Partnership Summit in New Delhi in November 2011.