NASA Welcomes Armenia as 43rd Artemis Accords Signatory

Armenia joined the NASA’s Artemis Accords as the 43rd signatory nation, furthering international cooperation in lunar exploration.

About Artemis Accords

1. Established: 2020 by NASA, the U.S. Department of State, and seven other nations.
2. Grounded in: Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and other agreements.
3. Objective: Sets non-binding principles for peaceful civil exploration and use of outer space, the Moon, Mars, comets, and asteroids.

Signatories: Include India and now Armenia.

Key Principles of the Artemis Accords All activities will be conducted for peaceful purposes Partner nations shall ensure transparency by publicly describing their own policies and plans Join Registration Convention and avoiding harmful interference Partner nations shall utilize existing international standards, develop new standards, and strive to support interoperability Timely and open sharing of scientific data to ensure that the entire world can benefit from exploration and discovery Preservation of outer space heritage with historic value

Existing Outer Space Governance Framework

1. UN COPUOS: Established by the UN General Assembly in 1958 to govern space exploration for the benefit of all humanity, supported by UNOOSA.
2. Key International Space Treaties:

1. Outer Space Treaty 1967
2. Rescue Agreement 1968
3. Liability Convention 1972
4. Registration Convention 1976  
5. Moon Agreement 1979 (India is a signatory but hasn't ratified)

Need for Reform in Outer Space Governance

1. Space Debris: 130 million objects larger than 1 mm, posing a growing threat without a dedicated international monitoring or removal mechanism.
2. Resource Activities: Lack of international framework on space resource exploration and utilization, despite the growing interest in space mining.
3. Space Traffic Coordination: Inconsistent standards and coordination among national and regional entities create challenges, especially for countries with limited space capacity.
4. Prevention of Conflict: Need for additional frameworks to prevent armed conflict and weaponization of space, given the dual-use nature of many technologies.
5. Increased Satellite Launches: Exponential growth driven by government and private sectors, creating more complex challenges for governance.

Way Forward

The UN's policy brief "For All Humanity – the Future of Outer Space Governance" recommends:

1. New Treaty for Peace and Security: To prevent arms races in outer space.
2. Space Debris Removal: Developing norms and principles for safe and effective removal.
3. Space Traffic Management: Creating an effective framework for coordination and situational awareness.
4. Space Resource Activities: Developing a framework for sustainable exploration and utilization of celestial bodies, building upon existing treaties.
5. Inclusiveness: Facilitating participation of commercial actors, civil society, and other relevant stakeholders in intergovernmental processes.

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