The United States is looking to deepen its partnership with India in lunar exploration, with US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor saying Washington wants India “by our side” as the United States returns to the Moon.
Speaking at the Bengaluru Space Expo 2026, Gor highlighted NASA’s invitation to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to join its Moon Base programme, signalling a potentially significant expansion of India-US cooperation beyond conventional space missions.
“Make no mistake: we’re going back to the Moon, and we want India by our side on the lunar surface,” Gor said, underscoring Washington’s interest in India becoming a partner in future lunar activities.
The development follows the ninth India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group meeting held at ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru on August 5-6. According to ISRO, NASA invited the Indian space agency to join the Moon Base programme as part of the growing partnership between the two countries under the Artemis Accords. The two sides also agreed to continue discussions on cooperation involving open scientific data sharing.
NASA’s Moon Base initiative is intended to establish a long-term human presence on the lunar surface through a phased approach. The US space agency plans to begin with robotic missions and technology demonstrations before progressively developing transportation, power, communications, habitation and logistics systems required for sustained lunar operations.
The lunar south pole is expected to be a particularly important area for this effort. NASA has identified the region as a key destination because of its permanently shadowed craters and potential water-ice resources. Such resources could eventually support scientific research and future human operations on the Moon.
For India, participation in the programme could provide another avenue to expand its role in international lunar exploration. ISRO has already established a strong lunar exploration record through the Chandrayaan programme, including Chandrayaan-3’s successful demonstration of a soft landing and rover operations on the lunar surface.
India is also developing a broader long-term human spaceflight roadmap. ISRO has previously outlined plans involving Chandrayaan-4 and subsequent lunar exploration milestones, with the country’s larger objective including a human mission to the Moon by 2040.
The latest US invitation therefore comes at a significant moment for India’s space programme. A closer role in NASA’s Moon Base initiative could create opportunities for Indian scientists, engineers and space companies to contribute to lunar technologies, scientific research, surface systems and other capabilities required for sustained operations beyond Earth.
The partnership also reflects the wider evolution of India-US space cooperation. From scientific instruments on earlier missions to major joint programmes such as NISAR and human-spaceflight cooperation, the relationship has increasingly moved toward more ambitious areas of space exploration. Gor also encouraged Indian space entrepreneurs to look toward the US market, highlighting growing commercial opportunities between the two countries.
With NASA pursuing a permanent lunar presence and India expanding its own capabilities, the Moon could become an increasingly important area of strategic and scientific cooperation between the two nations. India’s potential participation in the Moon Base programme would give New Delhi an opportunity to contribute to the next generation of lunar exploration while strengthening its position as a major partner in the global space ecosystem.