Archive · 7 Sep 2026
US Invites ISRO Into Moon Base Cooperation, Ambassador Says
The United States has invited India’s space agency, ISRO, to join a Moon Base program.
NASA is leading the program through its Artemis missions.
The work is meant to help scientists learn more about the Moon and prepare for future trips to Mars.
US Ambassador Sergio Gor discussed the invitation with ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan.
India and the United States already cooperate on projects such as the NISAR Earth-observation satellite.
They have also worked together on human spaceflight and astronaut training.
Gor said Indian space companies could find opportunities in the American market.
The two countries are also discussing rules for safe and peaceful activities in space.
However, joining the Artemis Accords does not by itself make India a formal hardware partner in the Artemis program.
US Ambassador Sergio Gor said NASA has officially invited ISRO to join its Moon Base program.
The proposed cooperation is linked to Artemis missions, lunar scientific research and preparation for crewed Mars missions.
Gor and ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan discussed broader cooperation, including human spaceflight, astronaut training and spacecraft interoperability.
Gor cited the NISAR mission and Shubhanshu Shukla’s International Space Station flight as examples of India-US space cooperation.
The ambassador also encouraged Indian space startups to enter the American market and said both countries are working on global space governance norms.
- Who
- US Ambassador Sergio Gor, ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan, NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation.
- What
- NASA has invited ISRO to join its Moon Base program, while India and the United States are expanding cooperation in human spaceflight, technology, commerce and space governance.
- When
- Gor discussed the invitation at the Bengaluru Space Expo 2026; he also met V. Narayanan on September 7, 2026. India joined the Artemis Accords on June 21, 2023.
- Where
- The remarks were made in Bengaluru, and the proposed cooperation would extend to the Moon and other destinations beyond Earth.
- Why
- The program is intended to support lunar scientific discovery, sustained human activity near the Moon and preparation for crewed missions to Mars, while broader cooperation supports technology development and shared space rules.
Deeper Artemis Partnership
Independent Indian Priorities
India’s role in the Moon Base program
Deeper Artemis Partnership
NASA’s invitation could expand India-US cooperation in lunar exploration, human spaceflight, technology and international supply chains.
Independent Indian Priorities
India’s participation in the Artemis Accords does not make ISRO a formal hardware partner in the Artemis program, and India continues to pursue its own national space priorities.
International space governance
Deeper Artemis Partnership
The United States and India say they can work together on peaceful, sustainable and rules-based exploration and help shape emerging lunar norms.
Independent Indian Priorities
The article notes that the Artemis framework is US-led, while other international initiatives, including the China-Russia-backed International Lunar Research Station, also exist.
- Moon Base invitation
- NASA has officially invited ISRO to join its Moon Base program, according to Sergio Gor.
- Artemis Accords
- India became the 27th signatory on June 21, 2023; the Accords provide a non-binding framework for peaceful, sustainable and transparent civilian space exploration.
- Human spaceflight
- Gor and V. Narayanan discussed cooperation involving astronaut training, docking standards and interoperability.
- NISAR mission
- The joint NASA-ISRO satellite studies changes on Earth’s surface; Gor said its radar data helped emergency responders after an earthquake in Venezuela.
- Commercial opportunities
- Gor encouraged Indian space startups, including Pixxel, GalaxEye, Digantara, Bellatrix, Skyroot and Agnikul, to pursue opportunities in the American market.
- Space governance
- The United States and India are working on space traffic coordination, global norms and preparations for the World Radiocommunication Conference in Shanghai.
