Remarks by Under Secretary Lago - June 1, 2023

June 1, 2023
Bengaluru, India

As Prepared for Delivery

Good morning.

Thank you, Consul General Ravin, for that kind introduction. And thank you and your team in Chennai for making this fascinating Mars Rover replica available to the museum.

To Ms. Attavar and Mr. Sankaran—it’s such a pleasure to join you today and take part in this exciting dedication ceremony.

We’re fortunate to be joined by Ms. Ana Maria Guerrero from NASA, an organization that has inspired and awed so many of us through its ceaseless innovation and exploration. You’d be hard pressed to find many Americans—or Indians, I’d guess—who don’t recall exactly where they were when the U.S. first landed on the moon! Go NASA! Go ISRO!

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, NASA continues to forge ahead on its mission of discovery. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has resolved to “explore new cosmic shores, continue to make strides in traveling to and working in space and on the Moon, increase the speed and safety of air travel with cutting-edge technologies, and help protect our planet and improve lives here on Earth.” Now that’s an inspiring vision!

It’s thrilling to think that the young people of Bengaluru—and across India—who come to witness this awe-inspiring monument to engineering will be inspired to help achieve these lofty goals.

Historically, space exploration has been a demanding and expensive venture that only a few nations could undertake.

Fortunately, this is beginning to change, with innovation creating new capabilities, significantly reducing costs, and opening the door to private industry.

We’re tremendously excited about the untapped potential of the commercial space sector to drive growth, discovery, and progress.

The governments of India and the United States alike recognize that a robust, innovative, and competitive commercial space sector can serve as a foundation for economic development and sustained progress in space.

As our nations forge even closer cooperation across critical sectors, space provides yet another example of our partnership, with today’s dedication ceremony serving as a symbol of our mutual commitment.

I look forward to seeing how our shared efforts will expand the frontiers of commercial space exploration—which will benefit not only our two countries, but also a world hungry for knowledge and discovery.

Thank you!