Until mid last year, Indian astronauts trained at the Yuri Gagarin cosmonaut center near Moscow, in collaboration with Roscosmos and ISRO. In June, New Delhi joined the Artemis Treaty, a U.S.-led framework outlining broad rules for space exploration from the Moon to Mars. Spain, France, Italy and a coalition of about 25 other nations supported the agreement.
Since then, Indian astronauts have begun training at the Johnson Space Center in Texas. New Delhi also signaled plans to participate in a joint ISS mission with the United States in 2024, signaling a shift toward strengthened ties with the United States and a move away from Russia.
Last Wednesday, August 23, at 2:30 p.m. Spanish time, ISRO marked a historic achievement. The Vikram lander separated from the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft and touched down on the Moon’s far side, a region never before reached by a successful landing. This bold maneuver signaled a new chapter in India’s lunar program, whose long-term aim is to enable settlements beyond Earth.
The Artemis framework includes cooperation with Russia, which has its own plans for lunar activity. Moscow has outlined steps for the coming years, including the potential withdrawal from the International Space Station in 2024, a move echoing earlier statements that gained attention after Russia faced international isolation following the Ukraine invasion of 2022.
Putin’s government has laid out a long‑term lunar development plan. The sequence envisions placing a lunar module in orbit before 2025, then landing on the Moon, establishing a base by around 2034, and advancing toward a manned lunar exploration system by 2040. Russia pursued faster milestones after a rival nation appeared to gain ground, but the lunar module’s early launch was followed by the Luna-25 mission loss after a communication failure on the Moon’s surface.
Sanctions from the European Union after the Ukraine invasion impacted Roscosmos, including the loss of a European Space Agency camera used in the lunar program. Airbus was among companies affected by these disruptions.
Currently, Russia looks to collaborate with China, which has its own Lunar Research Station project. China’s efforts, in which Russia has joined, target a human presence on the Moon by 2036. An alternative path is emerging as the European Union joins Artemis alongside NASA, with partners in Japan, Canada, Israel and Australia. The shared objective is to return humans to the Moon, including the first woman, and to extend exploration to the Moon’s southern pole by around 2024.
ESA plans include building the Gateway, a small lunar-orbiting station with modules designed to support crewed missions. As part of the agreement, a European astronaut is anticipated to walk on the Moon in the mid-2030s. Spain is expected to contribute a portion of the funding, with the overall project budget estimated around 15 billion euros.
In this evolving space landscape, many observers note a shift toward broader participation by governments and agencies around the world, alongside growing private-sector involvement. The dynamic is shaping a new era in which strategic partnerships redefine the reach of human spaceflight.
Experts describe this era as a changing geopolitical space focused on access and collaboration rather than exclusivity. A wide array of nations—more than a hundred—are pursuing their own space programs or planning new agencies, including efforts to establish regional space capabilities across Africa and other regions. The ongoing expansion of international commitments in space education, exploration and mining research reflects a broader ambition to harness space for peaceful uses and global benefit.
Analysts emphasize the need to look beyond individual achievements and recognize space as a shared arena for addressing planetary challenges. The evolving framework invites careful consideration of governance, resource rights, and cooperative paths that can serve humanity while ensuring sustainable, peaceful activity in space.
Thus, the emerging balance involves a wide coalition of players pursuing diverse approaches while aiming to keep space accessible and productive for many nations, not just a few dominant actors. The conversation continues as more countries outline plans for missions, research stations and potential economic activity in space, all within a framework that aspires to collective benefit.