India and the United States have taken a significant step toward strengthening cooperation in civil and commercial space exploration. During the 9th India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group meeting held at ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru on August 5-6, ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor emphasized expanding bilateral cooperation following the success of the joint NASA-ISRO NISAR mission.
A key highlight of the meeting was NASA’s invitation to ISRO to participate in its Moon Base Program, potentially opening a new chapter in India-US lunar cooperation under the Artemis Accords. The two sides also discussed collaboration in space science, human spaceflight technologies, open sharing of scientific data, long-term sustainability of space activities, and the peaceful use of outer space.
The development comes as India pursues an ambitious long-term space roadmap. Under its Space Vision 2047, India aims to achieve an Indian crewed lunar landing by 2040, while developing the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, with its first module targeted for 2028 and the full station by 2035. Building on the success of Chandrayaan-3, the latest India-US cooperation could further strengthen India’s role in future lunar exploration and human spaceflight missions.
