Reaffirming Europe's and India's commitment to expanding cooperation in space, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed an exchange of letters extending their long-standing Cooperative Agreement for five more years, until January 2032. The exchange between ISRO Chief Dr V Narayanan and ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher took place in Paris on the margins of the International Space Summit earlier this month.
The renewed agreement reflects the evolving priorities of both sides in the space sector: space weather, human and robotic exploration of space, while also recognising the growing importance of sustainable outer space activities. Last year, the two sides also expressed their intention to deepen cooperation through a Joint Statement of Intent on human exploration. This comes as India is working on sending its astronauts to space and returning them safely on homegrown rocket and spacecraft technology as part of the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme.
"The partnership between ISRO and ESA has delivered tangible benefits for India and Europe and has demonstrated the value of international cooperation in advancing space activities. The renewal of this agreement reflects the shared ambition of ISRO and ESA to pursue innovation and scientific progress for the benefit of our societies," said ISRO Chief Dr. V. Narayanan, who also serves as Secretary, Department of Space, Government of India.
The Cooperative Agreement, which entered into force in January 2002, provides the framework for cooperation between ESA and ISRO across a broad range of space activities. Over the years, ESA and ISRO have worked together on a range of programmes and initiatives spanning Earth observation, satellite navigation, space science and mission operations support.
"As space activities expand beyond Earth orbit and new opportunities emerge in exploration, sustainability and advanced technologies, international cooperation remains essential. ESA and ISRO have built a trusted partnership spanning more than two decades, and this renewed agreement positions us to pursue even greater ambitions together while delivering tangible benefits for our citizens and economies. We look forward to continuing this successful collaboration in the years ahead,” stated ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher.
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This extension of collaborative efforts reaffirms the commitment of both agencies to continue building on their established partnership and to explore new opportunities for cooperation in support of scientific discovery, technological innovation and the sustainable use of space.
When Indian Astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla trained at ESA facilities
In late-2024, Indian astronaut candidate Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and his fellow Axiom-4 mission crewmates had trained at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany, in preparation for their 2025 spaceflight mission to the International Space Station. EAC is the main training hub for all European-built Space Station hardware and serves as a centre of excellence for astronaut selection, training, medical support, and surveillance, while also providing essential preparation for astronauts and their families throughout their missions.
At EAC, the crew had familiarised themselves with ESA systems, including the Columbus module, Europe’s science laboratory on the Space Station. The Columbus laboratory is ESA’s largest contribution to the International Space Station and the first permanent European research facility in space. This lab, spanning 75 cubic metre, is fully equipped with research tools and autonomous facilities that support diverse scientific experiments in biology, physiology, fluid science, and more.
Group Captain Shukla and his Axiom-4 crewmates undertook a commercial space mission from American soil, lasting nearly three weeks across June-July 2025. Shukla was the second Indian to travel to space, and his mission on the American Axiom-4 flight was meant to serve as a precursor and a hands-on spaceflight training ahead of India's own Gaganyaan crewed missions and related in-space experiments.
