Nasa invites Isro to join Moon Base program under Artemis Accords

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) has invited the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) to join its Moon Base program in a bid to deepen the India-US partnership under the Artemis Accords, the US Embassy said on Tuesday.The announcement was made through a press release by the US Embassy and Consulates in India. (PTI)The two sides have also agreed to advance discussions for cooperation on open scientific data sharing under the Accords that seek to to enhance the governance of the civil exploration and use of outer space.Nasa is building a Moon Base near the lunar South Pole to strengthen US' leadership in space, unlock scientific discovery, drive innovation with industry and international collaborators, and prepare humanity for missions to Mars.On June 21, 2023, India became the 27th signatory of the Artemis Accord, to guide space exploration cooperation among nations.The release said India and the US advanced their discussions on civil and commercial space cooperation and also focused on pursuing future science and human space flight technology partnerships. These discussions, the release added, took place during the 9th meeting of the India-US Civil Space Joint Working Group (CSJWG), hosted by India on August 5 and 6 at the ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru.