Isro and ESA Extend Space Partnership to 2032
Isro and the European Space Agency have renewed their cooperation agreement until 2032, expanding work on space weather and exploration.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and the European Space Agency (ESA) have renewed their existing cooperation agreement until 2032, extending a partnership that dates back decades.
The decision was taken at the International Space Summit in Paris, held on September 9 and 10, where the heads of the two agencies signed the pact. Both sides used the occasion to reaffirm a long-term commitment to widening their collaboration in space.
The renewed framework places fresh emphasis on space weather and on human and robotic exploration, alongside the growing importance of sustainable use of outer space. Space weather is a significant area of study because even small variations can disrupt the operation of satellites, with knock-on effects for communication systems, power grids and navigation services on Earth.
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said the agreement would allow the two agencies to pursue greater ambitions together while delivering tangible benefits for citizens and economies. He noted that as space activities move beyond Earth orbit and new opportunities emerge in exploration, sustainability and advanced technologies, international cooperation remains essential, adding that ESA and Isro have built a trusted partnership spanning more than two decades.
Isro Chairman V Narayanan said the partnership had demonstrated the value of international cooperation in advancing space activities, and that the renewal reflected the shared ambition of both agencies to pursue innovation and scientific progress for the benefit of their societies.
Recent engagements between the two agencies have covered missions such as Aditya-L1 and Proba-3, as well as the upcoming Chandrayaan-5. With human space exploration gaining momentum, a number of robotic missions are planned, including India's Gaganyaan-1, which is to carry the humanoid Vyommitra on a flight scheduled before March 2027.
Cooperation between Isro and ESA began in 1978, initially to meet mutual needs in Earth observation and remote sensing through data sharing, ground stations, and tracking and scientific validation for monitoring land, oceans, weather and disasters. The two agencies deepened their work on science missions after a cooperative agreement signed in January 2002 provided a broad framework for collaboration. They support each other in tracking mission launches, expert reviews and scientific work.
In May 2025, during the Global Space Exploration Conference in New Delhi, the two agencies signed a Joint Statement of Intent on human exploration, with Indian Gaganyatris having trained at some ESA centres in recent years. In March this year, a further agreement was signed for joint calibration and scientific studies, covering the sharing of technology, data and infrastructure to make space missions more reliable and affordable.