• Senegal became the 56th signatory of the Artemis Accords on July 24.

• The accords introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety, transparency, and coordination of civil space exploration on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

• The signing ceremony took place two weeks after President Donald Trump’s meeting in Washington with Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and other countries of Africa focused on US-Africa engagement.

Artemis Accords

• Grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 (OST), the Artemis Accords are a non-binding set of principles designed to guide civil space exploration and use in the 21st century. 

• These principles, which include transparency, peaceful purposes, registering of space objects and release of scientific data, help make the space environment safer and more predictable, and allow all nations – even those without space programmes – to benefit from the data obtained in space.

• Co-led for the United States by the Department of State and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Artemis Accords were launched on October 13, 2020 with Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. 

• From the original eight nations in 2020, Artemis Accords signatories now hail from every part of the globe and possess a variety of space capabilities and interests. 

• The Artemis Accords principles establish a common political understanding regarding mutually beneficial practices in the exploration and use of outer space, including activities conducted in support of NASA’s Artemis program

• Through Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman on the surface of the Moon, paving the way for a long-term lunar presence and serving as a stepping stone for astronauts on the way to Mars. 

• India signed the Artemis Accord on June 21, 2023. 

• However, India is not a participant in the NASA-led Artemis Programme, which is a mission-driven initiative led by NASA to return humans to the Moon and beyond. 

• India has outlined its own ambitious vision for space exploration under its Space Vision 2047.

Why is this programme called Artemis?

The first missions to take astronauts to the Moon were called the Apollo Programme. The first astronauts landed on the Moon in 1969. Artemis is  Apollo’s twin sister and the Goddess of the Moon in Greek mythology. 

The Outer Space Treaty

• The creation of a special regime for outer space and celestial bodies was necessitated by the commencement of space activities with the launch of the first artificial satellites of the Earth under an international scientific programme, the International Geophysical Year (1957-1958), and the rapid development of rocket technology during that period.

• The Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, which is usually called the Outer Space Treaty, is one of the most significant law-making treaties concluded in the second half of the 20th century. 

• It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 19, 1966, opened for signature at London, Moscow and Washington on January 27, 1967, and entered into force on October 10, 1967. 

• The Outer Space Treaty laid down the foundations of international regulation of space activities and thus established the framework of the present legal regime of outer space and celestial bodies.

• Over 100 countries are parties to the treaty.

• India signed the treaty in March 1967 and ratified it in 1982.

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