NASA Invites ISRO To Join Moon Base Programme As India-US Space Cooperation Deepens

NASA has invited the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to join its Moon Base programme, opening a new avenue for India-US cooperation in lunar exploration and human spaceflight.

The invitation was extended during the ninth meeting of the India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group, held at ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru on August 5 and 6. The development was announced by the US Embassy on Tuesday.

ISRO Invited Under Artemis Accords

NASA’s invitation builds on the partnership between India and the United States under the Artemis Accords, which provide a framework for international cooperation in peaceful lunar exploration.

The two countries are also set to expand discussions on civil and commercial space activities, including scientific cooperation and the sharing of open scientific data.

For ISRO, participation in the Moon Base programme could provide an opportunity to contribute to a US-led effort aimed at establishing a sustained human presence on the lunar surface.

NASA’s Moon Base Plans

NASA describes the Moon Base as a phased programme to establish humanity’s first long-term outpost on another celestial body. The planned base will be located near the Moon’s South Pole, with robotic and crewed missions building the infrastructure needed for sustained operations.

The agency has already begun awarding contracts for lunar landers, rovers and other systems. NASA announced in June that Astrobotic, Firefly Aerospace and Intuitive Machines had been selected to deliver four science missions to the Moon in late 2028 as part of the Moon Base programme.

The programme is intended not only to support scientific research but also to develop technologies and operational capabilities for longer-duration missions beyond the Moon, including future exploration of Mars.

India-US Space Partnership Expands

The latest invitation adds to a series of collaborations between the two countries in lunar and human spaceflight programmes.

ISRO and NASA are already working together on the NISAR satellite mission, while NASA is also providing a water-detecting instrument for the LUPEX lunar mission led by Japan’s space agency JAXA and ISRO.

The potential involvement of ISRO in the Moon Base programme would take the partnership into a new phase, with India potentially contributing to an international effort focused on long-term lunar operations.