ISRO Hosts BRICS Heads of Space Agencies (HOSA) 2026 Meeting in Bengaluru

Cooperation in Outer Space for Global Good

Under India's current BRICS chairship for 2026, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is hosting the two-day BRICS Heads of Space Agencies (HOSA) meeting in Bengaluru on June 23–24, 2026. The high-level meeting brings together the space leaders of the expanded eleven-member BRICS alliance, representing Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia. This event serves as a primary platform to coordinate multilateral space research, advance joint earth observation programs, and formulate shared protocols for safe and sustainable space exploration.

Agenda: BRICS Space Council and Remote Sensing Satellites

The operational sessions of the HOSA meeting are focusing on key structural changes and technological partnerships:

• BRICS Space Council: The space agencies are finalizing the draft Terms of Reference for the proposed BRICS Space Council, a body intended to streamline inter-agency coordination, manage joint satellite launches, and encourage technical exchanges among member nations.
• BRICS Remote Sensing Satellite Constellation (RSSC): Delegates are discussing proposed amendments to the BRICS RSSC Agreement. These updates are intended to integrate the capabilities of space assets from newly admitted member nations into the shared remote sensing data framework, which provides critical data for agriculture, disaster management, and forestry.
• Space Sustainability and Debris Mitigation: In alignment with India's "humanity-first" approach to outer space, delegates are sharing best practices for reducing space debris, implementing passive orbit-decay protocols for spent satellites, and establishing domestic space governance guidelines.

Private Sector Engagement and Industrial Cooperation

A novel feature of the 2026 HOSA meeting is the active integration of private commercial entities. Supported by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), the event hosts discussions between BRICS delegations and representatives from private Indian aerospace startups. The delegates are scheduled for site visits to local private aerospace manufacturing hubs in Bengaluru, highlighting India's commercial space-tech ecosystem and paving the way for joint ventures in commercial satellite components and launch services.