Armenia has become the 43rd signatory to NASA's Artemis Accords for lunar exploration.
About the Artemis Accords
• NASA established the organisation in 2020 in collaboration with the US Department of State and seven founding member nations (Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, UAE, and UK).
Based on the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and related agreements, such as the Registration Convention and Rescue and Return Agreement.
Objective: Establishes non-binding principles for peaceful exploration and use of space, including the moon, Mars, comets, and asteroids.
The aim is to foster peaceful, sustainable, and transparent space cooperation. India is also a signatory to this accord.
Existing Outer Space Governance Framework
1.UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS):
a) Outer Space Treaty (1967):
b) Rescue Agreement (1968):
c) Liability Convention (1972):
d) Registration Convention (1976):
e) Moon Agreement (1979):
3.India's participation:
This framework provides the basic legal structure for international space activities. It's worth noting that while these treaties form the backbone of space governance, the rapid advancement of space technology and increasing commercial space activities have led to discussions about updating or expanding this framework.
The fact that India has not ratified the Moon Agreement is not unusual. This agreement has the lowest number of ratifications among the five treaties, with many major spacefaring nations, including the United States, Russia, and China, also not having ratified it. The Moon Agreement's provisions on the exploitation of lunar resources have been a point of contention for many countries.
Artemis Accords
1.Founding and Signatories:
The Artemis Accords serve as a framework for international cooperation in space exploration, emphasizing peaceful use, transparency, and sustainability while building upon existing international space law.
Several critical issues in outer space governance
Potential solutions:
Potential solutions:
Potential solutions:
Potential solutions:
Potential solutions:
To address these challenges, a comprehensive approach involving international cooperation, new legal frameworks, and technological innovations will be necessary. Key steps could include:
These reforms would help ensure the sustainable and peaceful use of outer space for future generations while promoting scientific and economic development.
India can play a significant role in improving outer space governance.
Additionally, India can contribute to outer space governance in several other ways:
Way Ahead
New treaty for peace and security: The UN recommends negotiating a new treaty to ensure peace, security, and prevent an arms race in outer space.
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In every Lecture. Director Sir will provide conceptual understanding with around 800 Mindmaps.
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