New Delhi, May 18 (APAC Media): India and Sweden have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on space cooperation during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Gothenburg. The partnership will focus on developing a scientific instrument for India’s Venus Orbiter Mission, scheduled for launch in March 2028.
The agreement, signed between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Sweden’s National Space Agency, marks a significant step in strengthening scientific and technological collaboration between the two countries.
The agreement was among the key outcomes of the bilateral summit, during which India and Sweden elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, both countries expressed commitment to enhancing cooperation in space and geospatial technologies while also recognising India’s growing role in global space exploration and Sweden’s Esrange Space Center.
Speaking at the joint press conference alongside PM Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said, “I see great scope for India and Sweden to pursue enhanced cooperation in this area, and I’m very pleased that our two space organisations have signed an MoU to collaborate on an instrument that will be part of the Venus Orbiter Mission. So Sweden is proud to be on our way to Venus, together with India,” he said.
The mission’s key scientific objectives include:
- Studying Venus’s surface and subsurface geology
- Analysing the planet’s atmospheric chemistry and climate dynamics
- Understanding the impact of solar activity on Venus’s atmosphere
Scientists also hope the mission will provide insights into how Venus, once believed to be Earth-like and potentially habitable, transformed into a hostile planet dominated by carbon dioxide and extreme temperatures.
India’s Venus Orbiter Mission, unofficially called Shukrayaan, will be the country’s first mission to Venus. Approved by the Union Cabinet in September 2024 with a budget of Rs 1,236 crore, the spacecraft will be launched aboard the LVM-3 rocket. The mission will carry 19 scientific payloads, including Indian and international instruments, and its preliminary design review was completed in April 2026.
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