NASA invites ISRO to join its Moon base programme

The US space agency NASA has extended an invitation to India's ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) to collaborate on their Moon Base programme, recently launched with the goal of establishing a permanent human settlement on the Moon. This invitation was disclosed during the ninth meeting of the India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group held in Bengaluru on August 5 and 6.

The invitation was made by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor at the meeting. In 2023, India joined the Artemis Accords, a US-led international space exploration alliance. To date, 70 countries are part of the Accords. During the meeting, NASA and ISRO agreed to enhance discussions for cooperation on open scientific data sharing under the Artemis Accords.

The two countries have been strengthening their partnership in recent years, including through the development of a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation. NASA has also agreed to provide advanced training to Indian astronauts for missions to the International Space Station. The invitation to cooperate further on Moon missions is a logical extension of these efforts.

The meeting also discussed furthering joint missions to the Moon and beyond, as well as identifying areas where the two countries could share their expertise and knowledge.