Order in space

International agreement will boost India's space capabilities

As more nations and corporations acquire space-going capabilities, there is a need for updating the international norms for the exploration and commercial exploitation of space. The US’ Artemis Accords, which 12 nations have signed so far, is a new initiative. India, China, and Russia — the three space powers — are not among the signatories. The Accords, which were released in October 2020, are bilateral agreements. They expand the framework of the Outer Space Treaty (OST1967) and the Registration Convention (RC1976), which were adopted by the UN General Assembly. But while adhering to the OST1967’s principles of peaceful exploration and