NASA has formally invited the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to take part in its Moon Base programme, under the broader Artemis initiative, officials said after the ninth meeting of the India‑US Civil Space Joint Working Group (CSJWG) held at ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru.
Invitation and talks
The CSJWG meeting, which brought together senior officials from both countries to review civil and commercial cooperation in space, concluded with NASA extending an invitation to India to join the project to establish a sustained human presence around and on the Moon. Delegates also agreed to continue discussions on sharing open scientific data consistent with the Artemis Accords.
The outreach builds on an existing partnership between the two agencies, notably the joint NISAR Earth‑observation mission that entered service after its July 2025 launch. Officials said the deliberations covered cooperation in space science and human spaceflight technologies aimed at expanding mutual civil and commercial ties.
Where this fits in India’s roadmap
For India, the invitation comes at a time when the national space programme is pursuing a multi‑decadal agenda. Elements of India’s publicly announced Space Vision 2047 include an Indian Moon landing targeted by 2040 and development of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, with an initial module planned for 2028 and a full assembly by 2035. Participation in the Moon Base programme could provide additional technical collaboration, mission experience and data sharing that may align with these timelines.
Officials at the CSJWG flagged opportunities across several areas, including:
- space science experiments and instrument development;
- human spaceflight systems and life‑support technologies;
- commercial partnerships and shared use of facilities; and
- open exchange of scientific data under established Accord principles.
Scientific and strategic implications
Joining a multinational effort to establish lunar infrastructure could accelerate technology transfer and operational learning for long‑duration human missions. For scientists, access to coordinated datasets and collaborative payload opportunities on or around the Moon would broaden research into lunar geology, volatiles and space environment effects.
At the strategic level, closer collaboration with NASA under the Artemis framework would deepen India’s ties with partners that have already signed the Artemis Accords, allowing shared mission standards and interoperability. Such cooperation is likely to involve negotiated arrangements on responsibilities, costs, data policies and launch or payload contributions.
Caveats and next steps
The CSJWG outcome was an invitation and a commitment to continued talks, not a signed partnership or resource commitment. Any formal participation by ISRO in a Moon Base programme would require detailed technical review, funding allocations and scheduling decisions within India’s national space planning process.
Officials from both sides indicated that further discussions will refine the scope and modalities of cooperation, including how open scientific data would be shared in line with the Accords' principles.
| Milestone | Target year |
|---|---|
| Launch of NISAR Earth‑observation mission | July 2025 |
| First module of Bharatiya Antariksh Station | 2028 |
| Full Bharatiya Antariksh Station | 2035 |
| India’s targeted Moon landing | 2040 |
The CSJWG meeting in Bengaluru reflects growing bilateral momentum in civil space cooperation. How ISRO positions itself in the Artemis architecture will depend on internal assessments of scientific benefit, technology readiness and national priorities for human and robotic exploration.
