US Invites ISRO to Moon Base Project at Bengaluru Space Expo 2026
India-U.S. space ties are moving beyond traditional cooperation toward joint technology development, commercial opportunities, and shared missions, U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor announced at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) in Bengaluru on Monday. Speaking at the opening of the ninth Bengaluru Space Expo (BSX) 2026, the Ambassador also reiterated NASA's invitation for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to participate in the Moon base programme.
Launching the U.S. pavilion at the exhibition, Gor stated that bilateral engagement has entered a new phase driven by joint development between governments, space agencies, start-ups, and private industry. He noted that both nations are no longer merely sharing data, but are co-designing instruments, co-funding start-ups, and co-authoring the future of human discovery, adding that the U.S. wants India by its side on the lunar surface. He also underlined the need for open and rules-based governance of space amid rising global competition.
A delegation of major U.S. commercial space companies attended the expo, including Amazon Leo, BlackSky, IONQ (Capella Space), L3 Harris, Pellucere Technologies, Vantor Inc., VAST Space, Viasat, and Voyager Technologies. Their presence is slated to help Indian start-ups and commercial firms explore international partnerships, funding, and access to global markets.
The expo also drew representations from other space-faring countries. Australian High Commissioner to India Philip Green highlighted the complementary strengths of Australia and India, observing that the two countries bring contrasting capabilities to their partnership. Italian Ambassador Antonio Bartoli noted Italy's background in advanced manufacturing and European space missions, with an Italian delegation exploring tie-ups with India's private space sector.
On the domestic side, Department of Space Secretary and ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan, along with IN-SPACe Chairman Pawan Goenka, outlined policy and institutional priorities designed to expand commercial space activity in India. N. Manjula, Secretary of the Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology, and Science and Technology in Karnataka, highlighted the state's innovation ecosystem of start-ups, academic institutions, and research centres working across emerging technologies.
A technical session chaired by Anupam Sharma of the Ministry of Defence and DRDO examined private sector opportunities to build surveillance, intelligence, and secure communication capabilities for defence needs, with Bellatrix Aerospace co-founder Yash Karanam participating. On the exhibition floor, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) presented student innovations, while the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) showcased aerospace clusters to attract global manufacturing investment.
