The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has invited the Indian Space Research Organisation to join its Moon Base program. The formal offer came during the ninth meeting of the India-U.S. Civil Space Joint Working Group held recently in Bengaluru. The invitation builds on cooperation under the Artemis Accords, with both sides also agreeing to discuss open scientific data sharing. NASA describes the program as humanity’s first outpost on another celestial body near the lunar south pole, to be carried out in three phases. It was unveiled at a NASA event in March 2026. The Bengaluru meeting advanced civil and commercial space ties under the TRUST Initiative, in line with a February 2025 joint statement by the leaders of both countries. Discussions covered the recent NISAR mission and future work in science and human spaceflight. Participants reaffirmed support for United Nations guidelines on the long-term sustainability of outer space activities.
