The United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) offered Indonesia's National Flight and Space Agency (LAPAN) to participate in researches at the International Space Station, Kompas daily quoted an official as saying on Saturday.
The step is a follow up of President Barack Obama's policy to embrace Asian countries to participate in space research activities.
The LAPAN's Head Adi Sadewo Salatun said that the offer would be studied while waiting for meeting result brought by Indonesian negotiation team involved in discussion of "Science and Technology Agreement" in Washington on March 22-23.
The agreement is the law umbrella consisting space research, nanotechnology, advanced technology and remote sensing.
Adi said that NASA's offer was submitted by Michael F. O' Brien,the agency's Assistant Administrator for External Relations.
"NASA asked LAPAN to join experiments at the International Space Station orbiting in space in a condition of almost zero gravity," said Adi.
However, Adi said, the offer would be hard to be fulfilled as the research requires relatively big fund, amounting tens of millions U.S. dollars.
Besides, he said, to seize the opportunity, Indonesia must also compete with other developing countries.
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