NASA Wants ISRO to Join its Moon Base Programme

NASA has invited the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to join its Moon Base programme, expanding cooperation between the United States and India on deep space exploration. 

The announcement came during the ninth US-India Civil Space Joint Working Group meeting, co-chaired by the US Department of State and NASA in Bengaluru, where both sides advanced the TRUST initiative, a bilateral partnership between the two countries. 

NASA has invited @ISRO to join its Moon Base program, deepening the U.S.-India deep space partnership! The news came as @StateDept and @NASA co-chaired the 9th Civil Space Joint Working Group in Bengaluru, advancing the 🇺🇸-🇮🇳 TRUST initiative. https://t.co/qLbhitmHCO

— Ambassador Sergio Gor (@USAmbIndia) August 11, 2026

The invitation signals a broader role for India in NASA’s long-term plans to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon. While NASA has not disclosed ISRO’s specific role, the Moon Base programme aims to build infrastructure near the Moon’s South Pole. It plans to accomplish this through a phased series of robotic and crewed missions, supported by international and commercial partners.

Notably, India made history in 2023 after becoming the first country to successfully land a spacecraft, Chandrayaan-3, near the lunar south pole.

According to NASA, the Moon Base will serve as humanity’s first lunar outpost where astronauts will live, work, and conduct scientific research near the lunar South Pole. 

The programme will support long-term exploration, unlock scientific discoveries, and prepare future missions deeper into the solar system. NASA plans to develop the outpost in phases. 

The first phase, running until 2029, will focus on robotic missions to study the lunar environment, test technologies, and identify locations for future infrastructure. Later phases will establish power systems, communications, cargo transport, and habitats before enabling astronauts to live and work on the Moon for extended periods.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described the effort as a gradual learning process. “Every mission, crewed and uncrewed, will be a learning opportunity as we return to the lunar surface, build the infrastructure to stay, and master the skills required to live and operate in one of the most demanding and dangerous environments imaginable,” he said.

NASA said the Moon Base strategy relies on commercial participation and international collaboration. It expects governments, private companies, and global partners to contribute across different stages of development, from early technology demonstrations to long-term surface operations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sempwv5MPMQ

The invitation also builds on broader efforts to strengthen US-India commercial space ties. 

In February, the two countries held the inaugural US-India Space Business Forum and Trade Mission in Bengaluru, bringing together officials and executives from 14 American space companies. The forum focused on improving market access, government procurement, regulatory cooperation, and industry partnerships, while advancing the priorities of the US-India Commercial Space Sub-Working Group.