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Documents now available include messages to conference delegates from the ISRO Chairman and the U.S. Ambassador to India, in addition to abstracts from the conference technical symposia. Documents that will be available shortly include the India-U.S. Vision Statement, which was released during the conference, the Conference Final Report, and the Conference Proceedings. Download Documents Resulting from the Conference.

On 12 January 2004, President George Bush announced next steps in the Strategic Partnership with India initiated in November 2001, when he and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee committed India and the United States to strengthening bilateral cooperation in several areas. The next steps in implementing the shared vision include "ways to enhance cooperation in peaceful uses of space technology," and "steps to create the appropriate environment for successful high technology commerce."

The Governments of India and the United States have been discussing the expansion of space science, applications, and commercial cooperation. Current cooperation takes place in the exchange of data from meteorological satellites and joint projects in atmospheric science. Enhanced cooperation in these and other areas of space science and applications, such as earth observation, disaster management, search and rescue, tele-medicine, tele-education, satellite communication and satellite navigation is of interest to the two countries. Additionally, opportunities appear to exist for mutually beneficial expanded commercial activities.

To address those issues, both governments have agreed to hold a joint conference in Bangalore, India, 21-25 June 2004. This event will be the first serious bilateral engagement about space cooperation between India and the United States although the history of cooperation in space activities between the two countries dates back 40 years. The launching of NASA-supplied Nike-Apache scientific sounding rockets from the Indian Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launch Site in November 1963 was the first in a series of cooperative launchings that extended for about a decade.

Objectives

The India-United States Conference on Space Science, Applications, and Commerce will bring together Indian and U.S. scientists, policy makers, and the private sector to explore additional cooperation between the two countries. The objectives of the conference are to:

• Review and evaluate the status of research and existing Indo/U.S. cooperative projects in the areas of space science and applications;
• Expand current projects and identify new areas of cooperation of mutual interest;
• Examine the unique challenges and opportunities for greater trade and industrial cooperation in the aerospace industry; and
• Develop a Vision Statement for the future of space cooperation and commerce activities between India and the United States.

Outcome

The expected outcome of the conference is to chart out suggestions for future bilateral cooperation and commerce between the two countries. The suggestions are proposed to be defined by debating and discussing the present state-of-art in space technology and applications, and the potential for both nations to benefit from each other's capabilities and requirements. It is hoped that the suggestions will help establish a direction for renewed bilateral engagement on the subject of space cooperation between India and the United States. Conference activities and recommendations will help promote subsequent specific actions and projects of a cooperative technical and business nature between U.S. and Indian space scientists, engineers, industry leaders, and policy makers.

Industry Participation

A large industry participation is expected and strongly encouraged by the sponsors and organizers. The conference offers a pivotal opportunity for the U.S. and Indian space industry communities to meet, explore, and discuss existing and new cooperative and collaborative ventures in the space arena.


Download the Most Recent Conference Information!

Conference Program (212 kb Word document)

Program Summary (108 kb Word document)

Conference Program Chart (37 kb PDF document)

Conference Announcement/Brochure (1.47 Mb PDF document)

Conference Information Flyer (344 kb PDF)