'To The Moon And Beyond': US Envoy Sergio Gor, ISRO Chairman Discuss Space Cooperation

US Ambassador Sergio Gor on Monday met ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan and discussed  America-India space cooperation, including in the human spaceflight program.

Gor said NASA’s recent invitation to bring ISRO into its Moon Base program signals how far this partnership can go to the Moon and beyond.

“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,” he wrote on X.

The base will drive lunar scientific breakthroughs and prepare for crewed missions to Mars. Check out the trailer and stay tuned as a big announcement drops soon.

Artemis Accords

India joined the Artemis Accords as the 27th signatory on June 21, 2023, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the United States.

The Artemis Accords provide a non-binding international framework for cooperation in civilian space exploration. Led by the United States through NASA and the US State Department, the framework sets out principles for peaceful, sustainable and transparent exploration of the Moon, Mars and other destinations beyond Earth.

The Accords are closely associated with NASA’s Artemis Programme, a series of missions designed to return humans to the Moon, including the lunar South Pole, and develop infrastructure to support sustained human activity there.

India’s participation in the Accords does not mean that ISRO is a formal hardware partner in the Artemis Programme. India continues to pursue its own national space priorities and programmes while working with NASA on specific bilateral projects.

One of the key areas of cooperation is the NISAR mission, a joint NASA-ISRO Earth-observation satellite designed to study changes on Earth’s surface. The two countries have also expanded cooperation in human spaceflight, including training Indian astronauts, or Gaganyatris, for missions to the International Space Station in collaboration with Axiom Space.

India’s entry into the Artemis framework also has implications for its growing private space sector. Membership can help Indian space companies and aerospace manufacturers gain greater visibility in international markets and potentially participate in global supply chains involving satellite components, space systems and lunar missions.

The Accords could also give India an opportunity to contribute to the development of international rules governing future lunar activities. These include discussions around the use of lunar resources, safety arrangements around spacecraft and facilities, and in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU), where resources found on the Moon are used locally.

By participating in these discussions alongside other major space powers, India can have a voice in shaping emerging norms for lunar exploration rather than being left outside competing international initiatives, including the US-led Artemis framework and the China-Russia-backed International Lunar Research Station (ILRS).