NASA has invited ISRO to participate in its Moon Base programme, opening a new phase of cooperation focused on sustained lunar exploration.

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• NASA extended the invitation during the ninth India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group meeting held recently in New Delhi.
• The proposed cooperation could expand India’s role in NASA’s efforts to develop sustained human and robotic activities near the lunar South Pole.
• NASA’s Moon Base programme was formally launched in March 2026 and is planned as a two-phase effort to strengthen lunar infrastructure.
• The lunar South Pole holds scientific importance because permanently shadowed areas may contain water ice and other potentially useful resources.
• India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully reached the lunar South Pole region in August 2023, strengthening its position in lunar exploration.
• India and the United States have already expanded space cooperation through the Axiom-4 mission and the jointly developed NISAR satellite.
• India joined the Artemis Accords in 2023, supporting cooperation in lunar exploration, scientific data sharing, technology and emergency assistance.