In a landmark move to deepen bilateral space collaboration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has formally invited the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to join its ambitious ‘Moon Base programme’, envisioned as humanity’s first permanent outpost on the lunar surface near the Moon’s South Pole.

The invitation was extended during the ninth meeting of the India–US Civil Space Joint Working Group (CSJWG), held at ISRO’s headquarters in Bengaluru and marks a significant escalation in the two countries’ partnership under the Artemis Accords.

Deepening US–India deep space partnership

US Ambassador Sergio Gor underscored the strategic importance of the Moon Base invitation in a post on X, stating, “NASA has invited @ISRO to join its Moon Base programme, deepening the US–India deep space partnership! The news came as @StateDept and @NASA co-chaired the 9th Civil Space Joint Working Group in Bengaluru, advancing the US–India TRUST initiative.”

The invitation is seen as a natural progression of the growing convergence between the two space powers, with India emerging as one of the world’s foremost lunar players after the success of Chandrayaan-3’s soft landing near the lunar South Pole in 2023.

Both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) guidelines on the long-term sustainability of outer space activities, and reviewed ongoing multilateral efforts to ensure the Committee’s effectiveness. This reflects a shared interest in ensuring that lunar and deep space activities are conducted responsibly, with due regard for safety, sustainability and the peaceful use of outer space.

What is the ‘Moon Base’ mission?

The Moon Base mission is NASA’s flagship initiative to establish a permanent, habitable lunar outpost where astronauts can live, work and conduct scientific research over extended periods. Announced at NASA’s “Ignition” event on March 24, 2026, the programme is designed to achieve US President Donald Trump’s National Space Policy goals and advance American leadership in space by returning humans to the Moon and eventually using it as a stepping stone for deeper exploration of the solar system.

According to NASA, the Moon Base will be built through a series of crewed and uncrewed missions, with the aim of unlocking new scientific discoveries, testing technologies for long-duration space habitation and preparing for future missions to Mars and beyond.

The proposed location near the lunar South Pole is strategic as this region is believed to contain water ice in permanently shadowed craters, which could be used for life support and fuel production, and it offers near-continuous sunlight on certain elevated areas, making it ideal for solar power generation.

By inviting ISRO to join, NASA is signalling that the Moon Base will be an international endeavour, leveraging the capabilities of partner agencies to share costs, risks and expertise while building a sustainable presence on the Moon.

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What it means for India’s space ambitions?

For India, joining NASA’s Moon Base programme would mark a decisive shift from robotic lunar exploration to sustained human presence on the Moon, effectively elevating ISRO into the top tier of global space powers. The Moon Base, envisioned as humanity’s first permanent outpost near the lunar South Pole, is designed to support astronauts living and working on the Moon for extended periods through a series of crewed and uncrewed missions, with infrastructure for habitats, power systems, rovers and cargo operations.

Participation would give ISRO access to cutting-edge technologies and international expertise in habitat design, life-support systems, in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) and deep-space operations, while allowing India to contribute its own strengths in cost-effective mission design, reliable launch services and lunar science honed through the Chandrayaan series.

At the same time, the invitation cements India’s position as a key partner in the emerging architecture of lunar governance and exploration, alongside the US, Japan, Europe and other Artemis Accords signatories. India became the 27th signatory to the Artemis Accords on June 21, 2023, committing to a framework that establishes principles for peaceful, transparent and sustainable exploration of outer space, and the two countries have now agreed to advance discussions on open scientific data sharing under the Accords to enhance cooperation in civil exploration and use of outer space.

While the exact nature and timeline of India’s participation remain to be worked out, the invitation itself signals a new era of US–India space cooperation, one that could see Indian astronauts, scientists and engineers playing a role in humanity’s first permanent outpost on another celestial body, and aligns with India’s own Space Vision 2047 roadmap, which includes an Indian crewed lunar mission by 2040 and the development of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station.

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Building on the Artemis Accords partnership

The invitation to ISRO builds directly on India’s participation in the Artemis Accords, a US-led set of principles for civil space exploration that India signed on June 21, 2023, becoming the 27th signatory. While India is not a participant in the NASA-led Artemis Programme itself, the Accords provide a framework for cooperation on lunar exploration, data sharing and the peaceful use of outer space.

A joint press statement from the CSJWG meeting noted, “NASA invited ISRO to join its Moon Base program, building on the two countries’ partnership under the Artemis Accords.” The two sides also agreed to advance discussions on open scientific data sharing under the Accords to enhance cooperation in civil exploration and use of outer space.

This move effectively elevates India from a signatory of the Accords to a prospective partner in one of the most ambitious lunar projects ever conceived, aligning with India’s own lunar ambitions demonstrated through the Chandrayaan missions and its growing capabilities in launch vehicles, satellite technology and human spaceflight under the ‘Gaganyaan‘ programme.

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TRUST initiative and expanding space cooperation

The Moon Base invitation comes under the broader umbrella of the India–US Transforming the Relationship Utilising Strategic Technology (TRUST) initiative, unveiled in February 2025 to promote application of critical and emerging technologies in areas such as defence, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum, biotechnology, energy and space.

The CSJWG meeting in Bengaluru advanced civil and commercial space cooperation under TRUST, in line with the February 2025 Joint Leaders’ Statement issued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump.

Both sides discussed expanding cooperation following the successful launch of the joint NASA–ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission last year, as well as pursuing future science and human spaceflight technology collaborations.

ISRO Chairman V Narayanan and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor addressed the opening segment of the meeting, highlighting the significance of further strengthening bilateral space cooperation. The meeting was co-chaired on the Indian side by M Sankaran, Director of the UR Rao Satellite Centre at ISRO, and on the US side by Wesley Brooks, Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, and Kathleen Karika, NASA Associate Administrator for International and Inter-agency Relations.