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NASA Invites ISRO to Join Moon Base Programme Under Artemis Accords; Lunar South Pole Outpost Planned

Target:UPSC GS-IIIMPSCTeachingSSC GAPrelims HighMains HighStatic GK Link
13 Aug 2026
~2 min
Source: The Hindu
Key Data:9th India-U.S. Civil Space Joint Working GroupAugust 5-6, 2026BengaluruMoon's south pole
Bodies:NASAISRO
Practice MCQs from today's news ▸
What This Article Covers

1.NASA invited ISRO to join the Moon Base programme during the 9th India-U.S. Civil Space Joint Working Group meeting in Bengaluru.

2.The Moon Base programme aims to establish a human outpost at the lunar south pole for living, working, and scientific activities.

3.The invitation is under the Artemis Accords, a framework for international space cooperation led by the U.S.

The Big Picture
Prelims · HighMains · High

NASA has formally invited ISRO to join its ambitious Moon Base programme under the Artemis Accords, aiming to establish a human outpost at the lunar south pole. This marks a significant step in India-U.S. civil space cooperation and opens up new opportunities for Indian space research and technology.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

Meeting9th India-U.S. Civil Space Joint Working Group (CSJWG)
DateAugust 5-6, 2026
LocationBengaluru, India
NASA AdministratorJared Isaacman
Moon Base TargetLunar south pole

1-Minute Revision

  • ›Meeting: 9th India-U.S. Civil Space Joint Working Group (CSJWG)
  • ›Date: August 5-6, 2026
  • ›Target this Data: 9th India-U.S. Civil Space Joint Working Group meeting, August 5-6, 2026, in Bengaluru
  • ›Target this Nodal Body: NASA (U.S.) and ISRO (India)
  • ›Target this Legal Point: Artemis Accords - international framework for moon exploration

Mastered this topic? Test your knowledge with a full MCQ quiz.

Practice exam-style questions, track your score, and strengthen your recall.

Q1Static LinkageEasy

Which space agency extended the formal invitation to ISRO to join the Moon Base programme?

Q2Statement-basedHard

Consider the following statements regarding the India-U.S. Civil Space Joint Working Group meeting:

1. The meeting was the 9th edition of the India-U.S. Civil Space Joint Working Group.

2. The meeting was held in New Delhi.

3. NASA invited ISRO to join its Moon Base programme.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMedium

According to the news, which region of the Moon is targeted for NASA's Moon Base programme?

Q4Application/ImpactMedium

What is the primary objective of NASA's Moon Base programme as described in the article?

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