The Artemis Accords

The Artemis Accords

By: Saanjali Maharaj

Figure 1: Render of Lunar Activities

IN OCTOBER 2020, eight countries signed a series of non-binding bilateral agreements called the Artemis Accords [1]. These agreements outline practices to facilitate a peaceful, safe, cooperative environment for exploration, research, and utilisation of the Moon, Mars, comets, and other relevant celestial bodies. The principles of the Accords are grounded in the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, commonly known as the Outer Space Treaty, which lays the framework of international space law. As of June 2021, the Accords have been signed by 12 countries: the United States of America, Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Korea, Ukraine, and Brazil.

The main objectives of the Artemis Accords focus on safety and transparency among nations. This comes in time for the new age of space exploration being ushered in by the upcoming lunar missions [2]. In fact, agreeing to the Accords is a prerequisite to participate in the Artemis Program - the US-led program to return humans to the Moon. In line with the goals of the Program, there are guidelines on the registration of space objects and the open dissemination of scientific data.

To promote safety and security, there are directives for deconfliction that explicitly reference the Outer Space Treaty. There should be designated mutable ‘Safety Zones’ to avoid harmful interference of the Signatories’ activities. Safety Zones are to be authorized by the Secretary-General of the UN and all other Signatories must be notified of their establishment, alteration, and end. Furthermore, the Accords specify that participating nations should commit to peaceful and legal activities, and should provide reasonable assistance to those in distress.

In terms of sustainability, the Accords outline mitigation strategies for orbital debris, common infrastructure and standards to promote interoperability of systems, and the fair and efficient extraction and utilisation of space resources. There is also a guideline on the preservation of space heritage to protect historically significant sites and artifacts.

While several countries have been eager to sign, others criticize the Accords for being too US-centric. Lunar exploration is seen by many as the successor to the ISS in terms of outer space research and development, thus it can be argued that any document guiding the program should go through the United Nations treaty procedure. Some even claim that the section on space heritage site preservation, which would include the Apollo landing site, should be a matter of courtesy rather than a guideline imposed by the United States in a requisite document for Artemis Program participation [3]. However, others may counter that the legally non-binding nature of the Accords means it is not unreasonable for the US to include this provision.

The list of Signatories of the Accords has the noticeable omission of Russia, a key player in the space industry. Dmitry Rogozin, the chief of Russia’s space corporation, Roscosmos, has been openly critical of the Artemis Accords [4]. In particular, the contention is with the Accord’s enablement of the private sector and consequent commercialization of space. While the Outer Space Treaty forms a solid foundation for the Accords, it should be noted that the Treaty was drafted at a time when commercial space resource utilization was not an immediate possibility. The US private sector, comprising corporations such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, provides fierce competition for other countries [5]. To this end, Roscosmos has instead signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the China National Space Administration (CSNA) for a joint lunar research base [6].

With the world on the cusp of furthering lunar exploration and resource utilisation, the need for a set of guidelines is evident. The Artemis Accords aim to fulfil this purpose, promoting the core values of peace, safety, and transparency. The 12 Signatories have committed to this series of non-binding agreements. However, other nations, most notably China and Russia, have not agreed to the Artemis Accords on the basis of criticisms that the Accords are too US-centric and favour commercial interests. The resource potential of the Moon is becoming more accessible as our technology advances. In this 21st century edition of the ‘space race’, geopolitical considerations must be taken into account to ensure the safe, sustainable, and equitable utilization of outer space resources.

Figure 2: In March 2021, the CSNA and Roscosmos signed an MoU regarding construction of the International Lunar Research Station

References

[1] “The Artemis Accords: Principles for Cooperation in the Civil Exploration and Use of the Moon, Mars, Comets, and Asteroids”, NASA, 2020. [Online]. Available: https:// www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-accords/img/Artemis-Accords-signed-13Oct2020.pdf. [Accessed: 16- Jun- 2021].

[2] “NASA: Artemis Accords”, NASA, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-accords/index.html. [Accessed: 16- Jun- 2021].

[3] F. von der Dunk, “The Artemis Accords and the law: Is the Moon ‘back in business’?”, The Big Q, 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.thebigq.org/2020/06/02/the-artemis-accords-and-the-law-is-the-moon-back-in-business/. [Accessed: 16- Jun- 2021].

[4] E. Berger, “Russia turns away from NASA, says it will work with China on a Moon base”, Ars Technica, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/03/china-and-russia-say-they-will-work-together-to-build-a-lunar-station/. [Accessed: 16- Jun- 2021].

[5] N. Goswami, “The Strategic Implications of the China-Russia Lunar Base Cooperation Agreement”, The Diplomat, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://thediplomat. com/2021/03/the-strategic-implications-of-the-china-russia-lunar-base-cooperation-agreement/. [Accessed: 16- Jun- 2021].

[6] “China and Russia sign a Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Cooperation for the Construction of the International Lunar Research Station”, CSNA, 2021. [Online]. Available: http://www.cnsa.gov.cn/english/ n6465652/n6465653/c6811380/content.html. [Accessed: 16- Jun- 2021].