NASA invites India to join Moon Base programme

NASA has invited India’s space agency, Isro, to join its planned Moon Base programme, opening a new area of cooperation between the two countries in lunar exploration and human spaceflight.

The invitation was extended during the ninth meeting of the India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group, held at Isro headquarters in Bengaluru on August 5 and 6, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The US Embassy said the offer builds on the countries’ partnership under the Artemis Accords, which promote peaceful and sustainable exploration of the Moon and beyond. The two sides also agreed to discuss greater sharing of scientific data under the accords.

NASA announced its Moon Base initiative in March as part of plans to strengthen US leadership in space and support a sustained human presence around the Moon.

The talks also covered cooperation in space science and human spaceflight technologies. They followed the successful launch of Nisar, a joint NASA-Isro satellite designed to monitor changes to Earth’s land and ice surfaces.

India signed the Artemis Accords in 2023. Joining the Moon Base programme could expand its role in lunar exploration beyond the Chandrayaan missions and deepen cooperation with the US in advanced space technologies.

By Aghakazim Guliyev