Archive · 21 Sep 2026
ISRO and ESA Extend Space Cooperation Through 2032
India’s space agency, ISRO, and Europe’s space agency, ESA, agreed to keep working together for five more years.
Their agreement will now last until January 2032.
They want to study space weather and explore space with people and robots.
They also want space activities to be safer and more sustainable.
The two agencies have worked together since an agreement began in January 2002.
Their past cooperation included satellites, Earth observation, space science, and mission support.
ESA has also helped train Indian astronaut candidate Shubhanshu Shukla.
This cooperation may help India prepare for its Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.
ISRO and ESA signed an exchange of letters extending their Cooperative Agreement until January 2032.
The renewed partnership will focus on space weather, human and robotic exploration, and sustainable space activities.
The agreement, first effective in January 2002, covers Earth observation, satellite navigation, space science, and mission support.
ISRO Chief V. Narayanan and ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher formalized the extension in Paris during the International Space Summit.
The cooperation supports India’s Gaganyaan ambitions, building on ESA training received by astronaut candidate Shubhanshu Shukla before his 2025 Axiom-4 mission.
- Who
- The Indian Space Research Organisation and the European Space Agency, represented by V. Narayanan and Josef Aschbacher.
- What
- They extended their Cooperative Agreement for five years and identified new priorities including space weather, exploration, and sustainable space activities.
- When
- The exchange took place earlier this month, and the agreement was extended until January 2032.
- Where
- The agreement was formalized in Paris during the International Space Summit.
- Why
- To continue scientific and technological cooperation, support exploration, and advance sustainable space activities and India’s human-spaceflight ambitions.
- Agreement extension
- Five years, until January 2032
- Original agreement
- Entered into force in January 2002
- New focus areas
- Space weather; human and robotic exploration; sustainable outer-space activities
- Existing cooperation
- Earth observation, satellite navigation, space science, and mission operations support
- Indian programme
- Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme
- Astronaut training
- Shubhanshu Shukla trained at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre in late 2024
- Axiom-4 mission
- Shukla’s commercial space mission lasted nearly three weeks across June-July 2025