Space Cooperation: A Vital New Front for India-U.S. Relations

Indian scientists preparing to launch their Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) in November 2013 received an usual message — "lucky peanuts" from scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. JPL scientists bring a jar of peanuts to mission countdown — a tradition that goes back to the 1960s, when NASA had multiple mission failures in its Ranger lunar probes. During the launch of Ranger 7, someone in mission control was eating peanuts and passing the container around. The mission finally was a success and the credit went to those peanuts. NASA was sharing its tradition with the Indian Space Research Organisation when it posted a message on ISRO's MOM Facebook page saying, "Good luck peanuts from NASA to ISRO!" "Go MOM!" and "Dare Mighty Things."

The message showcases the recent elevated U.S. interest in India’s space program and the growing cooperation between the two space agencies....

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