# NASA invites ISRO to join Moon Base programme

2026-08-12T03:17:14+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 2 independent outlets

At the ninth meeting of the India-U.S. Civil Space Joint Working Group in Bengaluru, NASA formally invited ISRO to join its Moon Base programme. The outpost, to be built near the lunar south pole in three phases, is humanity's first planned base on another celestial body. The programme was announced in March 2026 under NASA's 'Ignition' event, aligned with President Trump's space policy. ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan and U.S. Ambassador Sergio Gor attended the meeting. The invite builds on the Artemis Accords, which India signed in 2023. Both sides also discussed expanding cooperation after the joint NISAR satellite launch and future human spaceflight collaborations, under the U.S.-India TRUST initiative.

## Coverage

- thehindu.com <https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/nasa-invites-isro-to-join-moon-base-programme/article71332292.ece>
- newindianexpress.com <https://www.newindianexpress.com/editorial/2026/Aug/12/moon-base-invite-a-golden-ticket-for-isro-startups>

Tags: Artemis Accords, Moon Base programme, NASA-ISRO, NISAR, space cooperation, US-India ties
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