NASA invites India to join moon settlement project

NASA has formally invited India to collaborate on its ambitious plan to establish a human settlement on the moon by 2030. The invitation was extended by the U.S. space agency during the 9th Indo-U.S. Civil Space Joint Working Group meeting held at the headquarters of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Bengaluru.

This collaboration is part of NASA's Artemis program, which aims to send astronauts back to the moon and eventually build lunar habitats. NASA anticipates commencing the construction of these lunar settlements after 2030, leveraging international partnerships.

India, through ISRO, has demonstrated significant capabilities in lunar exploration. Notably, India was the first country to discover water particles on the moon during its Chandrayaan-1 mission in 2008. More recently, in 2023, India became the sole nation to successfully land a robotic spacecraft near the moon's south pole with its Chandrayaan-2 mission. The landing site was subsequently named 'Shiv Shakti Point' by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Artemis program's focus on the lunar south pole is driven by the abundance of water ice found in its craters. India is currently preparing for its Chandrayaan-3 robotic exploration mission, further underscoring its commitment to lunar science and exploration.