India and the Artemis Accords

June 27, 2023

GS Paper III Science and Technology

Context:

Recently, India became the 27th country to sign the Artemis Accords, a nonbinding set of guidelines underpinning the ambitious U.S.-led project to return humans to the Moon permanently.

About Artemis Accords:

It establishes a set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations, including those participating in NASA’s Artemis program.
- The Artemis Program is an ambitious U.S.-led project to return humans to the Moon permanently, with bases, spacecraft, and a satellite constellation.
NASA & Partners: NASA is not working alone in this project but with its partners, including India. It provides unique opportunities for research and collaboration.
A New Era in Space Exploration: The Artemis Program could herald a new era in space exploration, one where a permanent human presence on the Moon is possible.

Origin of the Artemis Accords

About: The United States was instrumental in the drafting of the Moon Agreement but refused to ratify it. This led to an executive order being issued to utilize opportunities to make use of resources from outer space.
Artemis Program: An informal set of guidelines or norms created as an alternative to the Moon Agreement. A total of 27 countries, including India, have signed the Accords with access to NASA’s Artemis program.
- Founding members: Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the US.
Building Relationships: India’s acceptance of the Artemis Accords signaled its interest in building a greater relationship with NASA and its partners.

Significance for India:

Information Exchange: India gains greatly from the exchange of information and acquires access to NASA’s Artemis program, bringing knowledge and resources.
Enshrined in Article XI: India’s acceptance of the Accords is rooted in the principle of sharing scientific findings and knowledge enshrined in Article XI of the Outer Space Treaty.
Reduction of dependence on Russia: The acceptance of the Accords indicates a shift away from Russia after the decrease in Russian activities post-Soviet era.
Strengthening of Relationships: Collaboration of India with member countries would deepen.

Challenges in Accepting Accords:

Informal Set of Guidelines: The Anemic Accords were not legally binding. India prefers formal laws over informal guidelines.
India’s Shifting Away from Russia: There is a possibility that India is shifting away from Russia. The years to come will show the value of this action.
Space Resources: The Moon Agreement sets guidelines for resource exploitation. India’s acceptance of the Artemis Accords implies that it is overlooking the Moon Treaty.

Way Forward:

Education: India should focus on providing education in the field of space science and technology.
Students Engagement and Awareness: There is a need to promote awareness and scientific curiosity among students.
Investment: The time is for investments in research and development to make out its space capabilities.
Maintain Balance: India’s signing of the Artemis Accords signifies its commitment to advancing space exploration by collaborating with international partners. India on this new journey must maintain its relationships with historical partner Russia.
- India needs to strike a careful and delicate balance and position itself as a key player in the global space era.

Additional Information:

Outer Space Treaties and Moon Agreement:

Outer Space Treaties: Five treaties govern activities in outer space, with the Outer Space Treaty noted as the foundation for space law today.
Moon Agreement: A treaty directed at the use of the Moon and other celestial bodies for peaceful purposes only. It ensures that no state can use these regions to establish military bases or place weapons on them.
Resource Exploitation and ‘Global Commons’: The Moon and other celestial bodies are deemed ‘the province of all of mankind’, making them ‘global ‘global commons’, meant for the greater good of humankind.
Protecting Celestial Bodies: The Moon Agreement requires state parties to act on celestial bodies keeping in mind the protection of their environment.

India’s Moon Mission:

Gaganyaan: India’s own space program, Gaganyaan aims to send astronauts into space. The Artemis Program can provide valuable insights into space exploration, making India’s mission a success.
ISRO and NASA collaboration: The collaboration between ISRO and NASA opens up opportunities for joint missions and future research.
First Indian Astronaut: India’s acceptance of the Artemis Accords brings it one step closer to sending its first astronaut after Rakesh Sharma since the 1980s.
Chandrayaan-1 mission was launched in October 2008. The mission included a lunar orbiter and an impactor.
- It performed high-resolution remote sensing of the moon in visible, near infrared (NIR), low energy X-rays and high-energy X-ray regions. One of the objectives was to prepare a three-dimensional atlas (with high spatial and altitude resolution) of both near and far side of the moon.

Chandrayaan-2 Mission was launched in July 2019. It includes a lunar orbiter, lander and rover, all developed domestically.
- Its main scientific objective is to map the location and abundance of lunar water.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface. The mission is scheduled to be launched later in 2023.

News Source: Indian Express