National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) invites Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to join Moon Base programme under Artemis framework

Key facts

• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) invited the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to join its Moon Base programme under the Artemis framework.
• The invitation was extended during the 9th meeting of the India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group held at ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru on August 5 and 6.
• The Moon Base programme is being developed near the lunar South Pole.
• The programme aims to strengthen US leadership in space, unlock scientific discovery, drive innovation with industry and international collaborators, and prepare for missions to Mars.
• India and the US agreed to advance discussions on cooperation in sharing open scientific data under the Artemis Accords.
• India joined the Artemis Accords on June 21, 2023, becoming the 27th signatory.
• The discussions built on the NASA-ISRO partnership on the NISAR Earth observation mission, which was launched in July 2025.
• ISRO's Space Vision 2047 includes an Indian Moon landing by 2040 and the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, with the first module targeted for 2028 and the full station planned by 2035.
• The Chandrayaan-3 soft landing in 2023 demonstrated India's ability to land a spacecraft and operate a rover on the lunar surface.