India Set to Join Artemis Accords

26-08-2023

01:17 PM

1 min read

Mains GS-III: Science & Technology

India Set to Join Artemis Accords Blog Image

What’s in today’s article?

Why in news?
What are Artemis Accords?
What are the Principles of Artemis Accords?
India joining the Artemis Accords: Significance
News Summary: India Set to Join Artemis Accords
Other Scientific Cooperation agreements signed between India and USA

Why in news?

As per White House announcement, India has decided to join the Artemis Accords, which brings like-minded countries together on civil space exploration.
Also, NASA and ISRO have agreed to a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024.

What are Artemis Accords?

About
- The Artemis Accords are a set of guidelines and principles for international cooperation in space exploration and lunar missions.
- They were established in 2020 by the United States in coordination with other nations and international partners.
- The Accords aim to create a framework for peaceful and transparent space exploration, with a specific focus on lunar activities related to NASA's Artemis program.
  - Artemis program is NASA's initiative to return humans to the Moon.
  - In this program, NASA aims to land the first woman and the first person of colour on the Earth's natural satellite.
- The Artemis Accords are rooted in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 (OST).
Legal nature
- The Artemis Accords are not a legally binding treaty.
- They serve as a framework for cooperative efforts among nations involved in lunar exploration.
Signatories of the accords
- As of May 2023, the number of signatories to the Artemis Accords stands at 25.
- They include:
  - the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Bahrain, Colombia, the Czech Republic,
  - France, Israel, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Nigeria, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Romania,
  - Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

What are the Principles of Artemis Accords?

Peaceful purposes: All participating countries commit to conducting space activities exclusively for peaceful purposes, adhering to relevant international laws.
Transparency: Signatories are expected to be transparent about their national space policies and exploration plans.
Interoperability: The development of common exploration infrastructure and standards is emphasized.
- This includes areas such as fuel storage, landing structures, communications systems, and power systems.
Emergency assistance: Countries agree to provide assistance to astronauts and personnel in distress in outer space.
Registration of Space Objects: The Accords recognize the importance of registering relevant space objects according to the Registration Convention, allowing for better coordination and information sharing.
Preserving Heritage: Nations are encouraged to preserve historically significant landing sites, artifacts, etc.
Space Resources: The Accords affirm the extraction and utilization of space resources, such as those from the Moon, Mars, comets, or asteroids, in accordance with the Outer Space Treaty.
- Ownership claims over extracted objects are not allowed.
Deconfliction of Activities: Countries conducting Moon exploration are urged to establish safety zones to prevent harmful interference with the activities of other nations.
Orbital Debris: Signatories commit to the safe and timely disposal of spacecraft at the end of their missions, as well as reducing the generation of long-lived or harmful debris.

India joining the Artemis Accords: Significance

Chandrayaan-3 mission
- This is significant as it comes on the heels of the Indian space agency planning to launch the Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon.
- The two countries have already been cooperating on lunar missions; however, it has largely remained limited to sharing knowledge.
- The new accord will ensure resource sharing as well.
International Space Station
- While India and the US have agreed on sending Indian astronauts to the International Space Station, it will still take some time.
- However, the more immediate benefit will be sharing information on human spaceflight.
For the Gaganyaan mission
- India is in the midst of training its first batch of astronauts for the Gaganyaan mission.
- This new cooperation could further help in strengthening the curriculum, facilities, and training designs.
India as a major recipient of information from Artemis-II
- Nasa is planning to launch the first crew of four astronauts into lunar orbit with Artemis-II next year and land humans on the lunar surface by 2025.
- The signing of the agreement will establish India as a major recipient of information from the mission.
Counter to China
- Space is the next big domain of power play, and the Artemis Accords will open up new doors for India, especially at a time when China has been emerging as the next big player in space.
- Beijing has already established and commenced scientific research on its space station, Tiangong, and announced plans to land Chinese nationals on the Moon before 2030.

News Summary: India Set to Join Artemis Accords

Other Scientific Cooperation agreements signed between India and USA

Human spaceflight cooperation
- NASA and the ISRO are developing a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation this year.
On semiconductors
- US companies are partnering with India to build a semiconductor ecosystem that promotes supply chain diversification.
  - E.g., Micron Technology with support from the Indian National Semiconductor Mission announced an investment of more than USD 800 million.
On critical minerals and mineral security
- The United States will announce its support for India becoming a member of the Mineral Security Partnership (MSP).
- MSP is led by the US State Department and strengthens critical minerals supply chain.
On advanced computing, artificial intelligence and quantum information science
- India and the United States have first established a joint Indo-US quantum coordination mechanism.
- This will facilitate more collaboration between our industries, academia, and government.
- Both the countries have also signed a new implementation arrangement on artificial intelligence advanced wireless and quantum technologies.
On advanced telecommunications
- The two countries are working together on 5G and 6G technologies and including Open Radio Access Network (RAN) systems.
- India’s 5G and 6G and the US Next G alliance will be leading a new public-private Cooperation forum as well.
- The US will also be welcoming Indian participation in the US rip and replace programme that removes telecommunications equipment made by untrusted vendors.

Q1) What are Open Radio Access Network (RAN) systems?

Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) systems are a new approach to designing and deploying cellular networks, specifically the radio access network (RAN) component. The RAN is responsible for connecting mobile devices to the core network and enabling wireless communication. Traditionally, RAN systems have been built as integrated and proprietary solutions, where the hardware and software components are tightly coupled and provided by a single vendor. However, Open RAN aims to introduce a more open and flexible architecture by decoupling these components and promoting interoperability and standardization.

Q2) What is Artemis program?

The Artemis program is a space exploration initiative led by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), with the goal of returning humans to the Moon and eventually establishing a sustainable human presence there by the 2030s. The program is named after Artemis, the Greek goddess of the Moon and the twin sister of Apollo.