What Artemis Accords is and why India joining it signals shift in space strategy

In a significant development, India has signed onto the Artemis Accords, aligning itself with a global coalition dedicated to the peaceful, sustainable, and cooperative exploration of space. This move symbolises a major shift in India's space strategy as it integrates more deeply into the international space community. 

As the latest nation to join the coalition, India will collaborate on groundbreaking projects such as a joint mission to the International Space Station with NASA, reinforcing the country's position as a formidable player in the global space arena. This significant step forms part of a broader pattern of growing international cooperation in space exploration and heralds a new chapter in India's burgeoning space story.

Understanding the Artemis Accords

The Artemis Accords, grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, are a set of non-binding principles that guide space exploration and use in the 21st century. These Accords aim to facilitate peaceful, sustainable, and transparent cooperation among nations for the exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

 The Accords emphasise principles such as peaceful exploration, transparency, registration of space objects, interoperability, emergency assistance, preservation of heritage, and utilisation of space resources. Although non-binding, they provide a framework for international collaboration in space exploration and contribute to trust-building among nations.

ISRO-NASA collaboration for the ISS mission

The Artemis Accords also mark a new chapter in the collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and NASA. One of the most exciting outcomes of this collaboration is the proposed joint mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2024, as announced by both leaders during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ongoing visit to the United States.

This mission aligns with India's ambitious Gaganyaan human spaceflight program, which aims to send Indian astronauts into space. The collaboration for the ISS mission could potentially see Indian astronauts being part of an international crew aboard the ISS. It signifies a significant step in India's space exploration journey, as it marks the country's first participation in manned missions to the space station.

In addition, the US and India's collaboration in the space sector is not limited to the Artemis Accords or the ISS mission. It extends to various joint projects aimed at understanding natural hazards, climate change factors, and other environmental aspects. Both nations are also working on the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission aimed at monitoring Earth's changing ecosystems, which is set to launch in 2024. Furthermore, negotiations for expanded data exchange between the US Geological Survey and ISRO are ongoing, which will enable insights into climate resiliency, sustainable development, disaster management, and more.