Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed the Artemis agreement during his visit to the US, which shows India's commitment to global space cooperation and lunar exploration. India became the 27th country to sign the Artemis Agreement. The agreement, launched by NASA and the US State Department, provides a framework for cooperation in civilian space exploration and uses, with a focus on returning humans to the Moon and expanding space exploration to Mars and beyond . NASA Administrator Bill Nelson attended the signing ceremony for the agency and India's Ambassador to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu signed on behalf of India.
What is the Artemis Agreement?
The Artemis Agreement is a non-binding multilateral arrangement between the United States government and other world governments participating in the Artemis program, a US-led effort to return humans to the Moon by 2025, with the ultimate goal of space exploration of Mars To do. Increase. As of June 23, 2023, 27 countries and one region have signed the agreement, including ten in Europe, eight in Asia, three in North America, two in Oceania, two in Africa and two in South America.
Principles of Artemis Agreement:-
- Peaceful Exploration of Space: Countries resolve to conduct their space activities in a peaceful manner and to avoid any harmful interference or conflict.
- Transparency and Interoperability: Participants agree to promote transparency by openly sharing scientific data, emergency assistance and orbital debris tracking information. They are also committed to enhancing interoperability between space systems to facilitate safe and efficient cooperation.
- Sustainable use of space resources: Signatory nations commit to the responsible and sustainable use of space resources, including lunar regolith and water ice, in compliance with international law and relevant domestic regulations.
- Protection of historical sites and artifacts: Countries agree to protect and preserve historic lunar sites and artifacts, recognizing their scientific, cultural, and historical value.
India's decision to sign the Artemis agreement shows its commitment to collaborate with other countries in space exploration. Joining the agreement gives India an opportunity to participate in future lunar missions, share knowledge, promote technological advancement and scientific research with countries like the United States.