An Indian astronaut can soon be a resident at the International Space Station (ISS), stated Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador to India, according to reports. Garcetti hinted that under the NISAR project, an Indian astronaut will be sent to ISS by the end of this year, reported the media.

NISAR is the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar mission between the US space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Eric Garcetti was speaking at the event to celebrate the 248th Independence Day of the United States, which will fall on July 4.

“On July 14, 2023, India’s Chandrayaan-3 became the first spacecraft ever to land on the moon’s south pole. Today, we celebrate the giant leaps the United States and India are taking together, and the small steps that make them possible, from the sea to the stars,” he posted on X.

The US consulate in Mumbai also posted about the event on the social media platform, saying,

“A night that’s out of this world! 🚀🌌💫

We rang in the 248th U.S. Independence Day in the august company of Dr. Susmita Mohanty of Spaceport SARABHAI, India’s first and only space think tank, and Maharashtra Chief Secretary Nitin Kareer.”

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