NASA Invites ISRO to Join Moon Base Program Under Artemis Accords

NASA has invited India's space agency, ISRO, to become part of its "Moon Base" program, taking India-US space cooperation a step further into lunar exploration. The invitation came during a bilateral meeting between the two countries' space agencies, building on the partnership both nations already share under the Artemis Accords.

9th Meeting of the India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group (CSJWG)

1. This invitation was extended at the ninth meeting of the India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group, held at ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru on August 5th - 6th, 2026
2. The session brought together senior officials from both sides.
3. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor addressed the opening, underlining how important this space partnership has become. 
4. On the working level, ISRO's M Sankaran co-chaired alongside the US's Wesley Brooks and Kathleen Karika.

What Did the Space Agencies Discuss?

Beyond the Moon Base invitation, the two sides talked about deepening scientific cooperation, including open data sharing under the Artemis Accords, a non-binding framework NASA and the US State Department launched in 2020 to guide peaceful, sustainable space exploration. They also reviewed progress since the joint NASA-ISRO NISAR mission launched last year and discussed where future collaboration in science and human spaceflight technology could head next. Both countries additionally reaffirmed their support for UN guidelines on keeping space activities sustainable in the long run.

About the 'Moon Base' Programme

1. NASA's Moon Base is part of its larger Artemis exploration effort, aimed at building humanity's first permanent lunar outpost near the Moon's South Pole. 
2. The idea is for astronauts to eventually live, work, and carry out research there. 
3. Through a mix of crewed and uncrewed missions, NASA and its partner nations plan to gradually put in place the infrastructure needed to sustain a long-term human presence on the Moon, while also using it as a stepping stone for future deep space missions.