A month after NASA invited the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) to join its Moon Base programme, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Monday said the United States wants India “by its side” on the lunar surface.
“Make no mistake: we’re going back to the Moon, and we want India by our side on the lunar surface,” Gor said at the inaugural event of the ninth edition of the Bengaluru Space Exploration.
“The Moon may be our destination, but the engine of this journey is ground-level innovation, right here in our labs, startups, and commercial markets,” the ambassador said.
Deep Dive
What is NASA's Moon Base programme and what phases does it include?
Why did the US invite ISRO to join its Moon Base programme?
How does India's signing of the Artemis Accords impact its role in lunar exploration?
NASA's Moon Base programme
Gor said India was a signatory to the Artemis Accords and that NASA had officially invited Isro to join the Moon Base programme. India joined the Artemis Accords in June 2023, becoming the 27th signatory to the US-led framework for cooperation in lunar and other space exploration.
The Moon Base programme, announced by NASA in March, envisages a phased approach combining robotic and human missions. The first phase, through 2029, will focus on robotic missions to explore the lunar South Pole, demonstrate technologies and lay the foundations for a sustained presence.
{{/usCountry}}The Moon Base programme, announced by NASA in March, envisages a phased approach combining robotic and human missions. The first phase, through 2029, will focus on robotic missions to explore the lunar South Pole, demonstrate technologies and lay the foundations for a sustained presence.
{{/usCountry}}The second phase, from 2029 to 2032, will focus on building systems and infrastructure for a long-term presence, while the third phase will begin assembling a permanent lunar outpost where astronauts can live and work for extended periods.
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Gor later met Isro chairman V Narayanan and said the two sides discussed taking space cooperation between the two countries further, including in human spaceflight. “Productive chat with @isro Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan on taking U.S.-India space cooperation even further, including in the human spaceflight program. @NASA’s recent invitation to bring ISRO into its Moon Base program signals how far this partnership can go – to the Moon and beyond,” Gor posted on X.