9th India-U.S. Civil Space Joint Working Group

India hosted the 9th meeting of the India-U.S. Civil Space Joint Working Group (CSJWG) on 5 and 6 August 2026 at the headquarters of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Bengaluru. The meeting sought to advance bilateral cooperation between India and the United States of America in civil and commercial space activities, space technology collaboration, and sustainable use of outer space.

The meeting was co-chaired by ISRO and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the U.S. Dr. V. Narayanan, Secretary of India’s Department of Space and Chairman of ISRO, and Mr. Sergio Gor, the U.S. Ambassador to India, addressed the gathering. The delegation included the Director of UR Rao Satellite Centre, ISRO, Mr. M. Sankaran; the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Dr. Wesley Brooks; and the NASA Associate Administrator for International and Interagency Relations, Ms. Kathleen Karika.

The meeting explored civil and commercial space cooperation through the U.S.-India bilateral mechanism, “Transforming the Relationship Utilising Strategic Technology” (TRUST) Initiative. The successful launch in 2025 of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) Mission for microwave imaging was lauded and held up as a precedent for furthering collaborations between the two agencies. Both sides restated their commitment to the guidelines set out by the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). The group reviewed the multilateral initiatives towards fulfilling the committee’s objective of long-term sustainability of space activities.

The discussions also touched upon human spaceflight, space debris safety, Earth observation, scientific and technological collaborations, and knowledge sharing. The gathering recognised the importance of advancing discussions on open scientific data sharing under the Artemis Accords. India became a signatory to the Accords in 2023, and to deepen this partnership, NASA formally invited the ISRO to join the Moon Base programme during this meeting. The endeavour envisages the construction of “humanity’s first outpost on the Moon” for scientific research and crewed missions to Mars.

The countries set up the Civil Space Joint Working Group in 2005 for civil space cooperation, scientific and technological collaborations, resolving collaboration-related issues, interoperability in technology, and cooperation in international space initiatives. Its inaugural meeting was also held in Bengaluru (then Bangalore). The latest meeting is testament to the sustained growth this partnership has achieved in space technology and innovation.