Bengaluru: The United States has invited the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to participate in its Moon base programme, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said while highlighting the growing India-US partnership in space exploration.
Speaking at the Bengaluru Space Expo 2026, Gor said Washington wants India to be a partner as the US prepares for an expanded return to the Moon. He pointed to India’s participation in the Artemis Accords and said NASA had formally invited ISRO to join the Moon base programme.
“India is a proud signatory of the Artemis Accords, and NASA has officially invited ISRO to join us in the Moon base program,” Gor said.
He added that the US was committed to returning to the Moon and wanted India alongside it on the lunar surface.
India-US space cooperation enters new phase
The remarks come as the two countries deepen cooperation across space science, human spaceflight, satellite technology and space governance.
Gor highlighted the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission as an example of how joint technological capabilities can have applications beyond scientific research.
He described NISAR as a mission whose radar data can support disaster response by providing information even when ground conditions are difficult to observe because of cloud cover or dust.
According to Gor, the mission demonstrated the potential of India-US cooperation to deliver technology with direct benefits for people on Earth.
Shubhanshu Shukla’s space mission highlighted
The US envoy also pointed to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla’s mission to the International Space Station as another major milestone in the partnership between the two countries.
Gor said Shukla’s flight to the space station marked an important moment for India and was made possible through American partnership.
He said cooperation following the Axiom-4 mission and five joint science investigations was now extending to areas such as docking standards, interoperability and astronaut training.
Gor described trust between the two countries as an important foundation for developing greater capabilities in human spaceflight and future exploration.
US market open to Indian space startups
The ambassador also encouraged Indian space entrepreneurs to explore opportunities in the American market.
He specifically highlighted Indian companies including Pixxel, GalaxEye, Digantara, Bellatrix, Skyroot and Agnikul, pointing to growing interest from American investors and the wider US space ecosystem.
Gor said Indian space entrepreneurs should consider the American market as an avenue for expansion and collaboration, while emphasising that US investors and industry ecosystems were watching the growth of India’s private space sector.
The remarks come as India’s space sector has increasingly opened opportunities for private companies alongside the country’s established national space programme.
Cooperation on global space governance
Beyond missions and commercial opportunities, Gor said India and the US were also working together on broader issues concerning the governance of outer space.
He highlighted areas including space traffic coordination and preparations for the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference in Shanghai.
According to the ambassador, Washington and New Delhi are seeking to strengthen open and rules-based approaches to space governance amid growing competition and increasing activity in orbit.
The growing number of satellites, commercial missions and national space programmes has made coordination and common standards increasingly important for the international space community.
‘Let us return to the Moon together’
Gor said the India-US partnership in space could produce results greater than the contribution of the two countries individually.
He described the relationship as one based on multiplying capabilities through collaboration rather than simply adding resources or expertise.
Addressing the space community in Bengaluru, he called for greater cooperation to build a global space economy and encouraged both countries to work together on future lunar exploration.
The invitation for ISRO to participate in the Moon base programme could mark another significant step in the expanding India-US space relationship, building on cooperation in satellite technology, human spaceflight, scientific research and commercial space activities.