NASA invites Isro to join its Moon Base program

NASA has invited the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) to participate in its new Moon Base program, potentially giving India a role in US plans to establish a permanent human outpost near the lunar South Pole.

The invitation was disclosed after the ninth meeting of the India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group, held at Isro headquarters in Bengaluru on 5 and 6 August. A joint statement from the two governments said NASA had invited Isro to join the program, building on their cooperation under the Artemis Accords.

Neither side has disclosed what role Isro could play, whether India has accepted the invitation, or what technology, missions or funding it might contribute.

The program itself is considerably more ambitious than a single lunar mission. NASA says it plans to build what it describes as humanity’s first outpost on another celestial body, using a succession of robotic and crewed missions to create infrastructure near the Moon’s South Pole.

NASA has divided the effort into three phases. Through 2029, robotic missions are intended to map the region, test technologies and identify locations for infrastructure. From 2029 to 2032, the agency plans to deploy power, cargo, communications and logistics systems. From 2032, it intends to assemble habitats and other infrastructure that would allow astronauts to live and work on the lunar surface for extended periods.

The agency formally announced the Moon Base initiative in March. NASA says the project is deliberately designed to accommodate international and commercial partners, with multiple opportunities for them to provide technology and participate in surface operations. Japan is already expected to supply a pressurized lunar rover.

For India, the geography is particularly relevant. Chandrayaan-3 made India the first country to land successfully near the lunar southern polar region in August 2023, giving Isro direct experience of an area that is becoming central to international lunar exploration.

The invitation also broadens an India-US space partnership that has moved well beyond satellite launches and data sharing. The two agencies jointly developed NISAR, the Earth-observation satellite launched in July 2025, and the latest bilateral talks covered scientific data sharing as well as cooperation in human spaceflight technologies.