US Invites India to Join NASA Moon Base Program

United States Ambassador to India Sergio Gor announced that NASA has officially invited the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to join the U.S. Moon base program. Speaking at the Bengaluru Space Expo 2026, Gor described the move as a shift toward co-creation, involving the co-design of instruments and shared funding for startups to support the Artemis missions and future crewed trips to Mars.

During his visits to Bengaluru and New Delhi on September 7, 2026, Gor met with IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to visit the International Space Station via the Ax-4 mission, to highlight bilateral space cooperation. Gor also encouraged Indian space entrepreneurs to enter the American market, stating that U.S. investors are actively monitoring the sector to protect open space governance against authoritarian dominance.

Beyond aerospace, Gor met with Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to discuss artificial intelligence and trade through the Pax Silica and TRUST initiatives, and held talks with Amazon executives in New Delhi regarding the company's operational footprint in India. In the defense sector, Gor praised a partnership between Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Tata Advanced Systems Limited for the domestic co-production of Javelin All Up Round systems in India.

Gor noted that President Donald Trump appointed him to deliver practical results across commerce, defense, and pharmaceuticals. He further announced that Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will visit the U.S. in late September for the G20 Trade Ministers' Meeting to advance bilateral trade negotiations.