As Nasa’s Artemis II crew loops around the moon, the mission involving four astronauts from the US and Canada is set to reignite India’s ambition to grow its space sector and launch future lunar missions.
The Orion spacecraft used in the Artemis II mission reached a maximum distance of 406,780km (252,760 miles) from Earth, surpassing the record set by Apollo 13 in 1970. The close approach to the moon was the climax of the mission launched on April 1, with the astronauts scheduled to return to Earth on Friday.
The first crewed lunar mission in more than half a century is a dress rehearsal by the US to send humans to the moon again by 2028.
While there are no Indian astronauts aboard the Orion, a successful conclusion to Artemis II would benefit India, according to analysts.
India is among the countries that have signed the Artemis Accords, a US-led non-binding framework that sets principles for lunar exploration, including cooperation, interoperability and data sharing.
“Though India is not a participant in Artemis-II, it is a signatory of the Artemis Accords and thereby integrates into the broader US-led lunar exploration ecosystem. Consequently, the success of Artemis-II strengthens a framework in which India is now a stakeholder,” said Kaushik Ray, a veteran defence and space expert.
By having access to the Artemis framework, India can design systems and components compatible with global lunar infrastructure rather than developing them on its own, according to Ray.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is aiming to launch its first crewed space flight programme with the Gaganyaan craft. The state-owned agency plans to launch Indian astronauts into a 400-km low-earth orbit for a three-day mission and safely return them in 2027.
India has set a target to become the fourth country, after Russia, the US and China, to launch human space flights.
“ISRO will benefit from the experience and data collected by the [Artemis II] mission, which is highly relevant for India’s Chandrayaan and Gaganyaan programmes, besides ISRO’s future ambitions in long-duration human space flight,” said Ray, referring to the Chandrayaan lunar exploration missions.
In 2023, Chandrayaan-3 became the world’s first space mission to achieve a soft landing near the lunar south pole. Its success bodes well for the objectives of the Artemis II mission, according to Ray.
“This positions India as a valuable contributor of lunar data, particularly regarding terrain and potential water ice resources. Over time, this could translate into collaborative missions, shared research, and participation in lunar exploration initiatives,” he said.
India is planning to launch the Chandrayaan-4 mission to gather moon samples and return them to Earth around 2028. It is also involved in LUPEX, a joint project between ISRO and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to explore the Moon’s South Pole.
In 2023, ISRO opened up the space sector to private companies.
The Indian space economy is projected to expand fivefold to US$44 billion annually by 2033 with the sector’s opening, according to a joint report released by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and EY last year, or 8 per cent of the global market.
India has set a budget of US$1.6 billion for its space sector, primarily for the Indian Space Research Organisation, over the 2026-2027 financial year. It is ranked among the world’s leading nations for commercial satellite launches.
The budget pales in comparison with China’s estimated annual space spending of around US$18 billion in 2023, the second largest after the US. China plans to land its first astronauts on the Moon before 2030 and co-develop an International Lunar Research Station with 12 other nations.
Referring to the bigger space budgets by the likes of China, Japan and South Korea, Ray said: “To benefit the most from the Artemis mission, India needs to invest more in its space sector, strengthen private participation, and develop independent technological capabilities.”
To spur the growth of the private space sector, New Delhi formed the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre in 2020. Since then, India has more than 400 space startups focusing on areas ranging from satellite manufacturing and launch vehicles to analytics.
The timing of the Artemis II mission could not have been better and is set to invigorate India’s space sector, according to Srinivaasan Balakrishnan, director of strategic engagements and partnerships at Indic Researchers Forum, a Delhi-based think tank.
Indian firms could play a key role in future space missions in the areas of propulsion, robotics and communications, Balakrishnan said.
“Artemis II is sending a strong market signal to India’s private space sector, validating a real lunar economy.”