Reading the fine print of Artemis Accords

DURING Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the US, several technology-related agreements were signed between the two countries. Among them, two are specifically related to the space sector. One, India signed the Artemis Accords on space exploration for peaceful purposes. It was signed by Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India’s Ambassador to the US, in the presence of NASA Administrator Bill Nelson at a ceremony held at a hotel in Washington. The second agreement related to the American space agency agreeing to sponsor an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2024. The so-called Indo-US space deal inked by PM Modi is being dubbed as a diplomatic and scientific breakthrough, akin to the Indo-US civil nuclear deal signed by his predecessor Manmohan Singh in 2008. The reality, however, is far from it.

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Why is India rushing into a flight on the International Space Station when it is preparing for its human space mission?

In his statement at the joint press briefing with President Biden, the Prime Minister said, “Today, we have taken a quantum leap in our space cooperation by deciding to enter into the Artemis Accords. In short, for the India-US partnership, even the sky is not the limit.”

Back home, there was ecstasy and celebration. “Could anything give us greater pride than to realise that a country like the USA, which landed the first human being on the surface of the Moon when we were singing nursery rhymes about the Moon, is today seeking our inputs and our expertise on Moon mission?” This was stated by Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the PMO that oversees the functioning of the departments of space and atomic energy, while explaining the importance of India signing the Artemis Accords. Singh also claimed that “the pact will pave the way for easing restrictions on the import of critical technologies in the space domain, especially electronics, benefiting Indian companies to develop systems and innovate for US markets.”

To begin with, the Accords is not a bilateral agreement or treaty or pact, nor does it seek inputs or expertise from India or anyone for Artemis — the Moon mission of NASA that envisages the development of a base on the lunar surface. It has no mention of ‘easing restrictions on the import of critical technologies.’ The Accords, as available on the NASA website and publicised by NASA in a press release issued on June 23, is a statement of general principles of peaceful exploration of outer space, such as transparency, interoperability, assistance to personnel in outer space, registration of space objects, the release of scientific data, preservation of outer space heritage and sustainable use of outer space. If it is about NASA seeking India’s help or easing import restrictions, as claimed by Jitendra Singh, NASA must be doing the same with Nigeria, Rwanda, Bahrain, Colombia and Ecuador too because they all have signed the same Artemis Accords since 2020. India is the 27th signatory to this non-binding and voluntary Accords.

The motive of the Artemis Accords is completely different from what is being projected. It is an innovative piece of space diplomacy created by the US Department of State to reclaim American supremacy as the world stares at a new space order with players like China and the rise of private space companies. Through the Accords, America is seeking to take the lead in developing a new framework of rule-based space governance. The UN-piloted space treaties developed and signed by all in the 1960s need to be updated, given the advancement in space technology since then and the emergence of new players. Instead of allowing the well-tested multilateral process to do this, America has propagated the Accords and is trying to garner support from other countries for the set of principles it has identified. Wary of this hidden motive behind the seemingly harmless Accords, major space-faring nations — China, Russia, Germany — and the European Space Agency (ESA) have stayed away from this exercise.

The Artemis Accords is cleverly worded. It affirms the importance of compliance with the Outer Space Treaty (Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies) opened for signature on January 27, 1967. It also affirms compliance with other UN treaties like the one on the rescue of astronauts as well as the Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects of 1972. Yet, Artemis Accords has tried to introduce concepts such as the preservation of space heritage and the creation of safety zones concerning the utilisation of natural resources that may be at variance with UN space treaties. The Accords is aimed at developing consensus on the principles on which a future space treaty could be developed under the UN, undermining principles of multilateralism. India has walked into this diplomatic trap without holding any discussion at home or enacting a space law.

The second part of the ‘space deal’ relates to NASA sending an Indian astronaut to ISS next year. This is equally intriguing because India is having its own Human Space Flight programme for which four Indian astronauts have been trained in Russia. If ISRO wanted to send an Indian to ISS, jointly operated by America and Russia, it could have done so long ago. It did not do so because human flights were not its priority. ISS has been operating for two decades and 269 astronauts from 21 countries have flown to it. Besides those from America and European countries, astronauts from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia have spent time on ISS. Has India broken new ground in space cooperation with the US or is it trying to catch up with the others? More importantly, why is India rushing into a flight on ISS when it is preparing for its human space mission? The PM had announced in 2018 that an Indian would go into space when India completed 75 years of Independence — a promise that did not materialise. The ISS ride is, perhaps, a face-saver or, at best, a poor substitute for that tall promise made five years ago.