Biju Dharmapalan
The success of the Chandrayan-3 landing is a great achievement for our scientific community and the nation as a whole. Only three nations, namely the Soviet Union, the United States, and China have achieved successful soft landings on the Moon. But nobody has landed in the south pole, a region whose shadowed craters are thought to contain water ice that could support a future moon settlement. All earlier missions went to the northern part near the Moon’s equator where the landing sites have smooth terrain and plenty of sunlight. Our space scientists have made the country proud, especially at a time when Russia’s Luna-25 crashed a couple of days ago. Chandrayan-3 and India will be written in the annals of lunar soils in golden letters. So far no country has set foot on the south pole of the moon, a region whose shadowed craters are thought to contain water ice that could support a future moon settlement. Also, our scientific prowess in developing space vehicles at a competitive price has caught international attention. The Chandrayaan-3 was launched with a budget of approximately 6.15 billion rupees, which is equivalent to $74 million. This is significantly less than what it cost to produce the 2013 space thriller movie “Gravity” . The scientific information gathered from the Chandrayan mission will help future crewed missions like NASA’s Artemis III, which plans to send the first woman to the lunar surface by 2050.
India has joined the race of expanding the country’s base in outer space.
Now the question that lingers on the lunar horizon is: what comes next? Who is the custodian of Lunar soil? Will there be competition among the countries in exploiting the resources from the moon? Will the future war be fought in outer space as we visualize in science fiction movies?.
When we start establishing ourselves as a multiplanet species more such questions need to be debated. When more countries join the race to conquer the Moon we need to control the human activities there. Otherwise, it will damage its environment similar to what we have done to planet Earth. Controlling human activities on the Moon requires a combination of international cooperation, established guidelines, regulatory frameworks, and responsible practices. The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) plays a central role in facilitating global collaboration for the peaceful utilization and exploration of outer space. UNOOSA actively encourages cooperation on space initiatives, contributes to the formulation of space-related laws and policies, and offers a forum for the exchange of information and the enhancement of expertise in space-related subjects.
UNOOSA also serves as the Secretariat for the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), which is the primary international forum for discussing space-related issues and developing space law. COPUOS oversees the development of various space treaties and reviews and approves various space-related guidelines and recommendations.
The main treaties developed under the aegis of UNOOSA are the following,
Outer Space Treaty (1967): This treaty establishes the basic principles governing the activities of states in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies. It emphasizes peaceful use, prohibits national appropriation, and promotes international cooperation. The treaty also sets guidelines for liability and jurisdiction in case of damages caused by space activities.
Rescue Agreement (1968): The Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts, and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space aims to ensure the prompt return of astronauts to Earth in case of distress or emergency. It also obligates states to return space objects to their launching state if they land in another territory.
Liability Convention (1972): The Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects addresses issues of liability for damages caused by space objects. It establishes a system for compensation in case of space object-related accidents.
Registration Convention (1976): The Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space requires states to register space objects they launch with a central registry maintained by the United Nations. This promotes transparency and helps prevent collisions and misunderstandings in space.
Moon Agreement (1984): The Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies addresses the exploitation and use of the Moon’s resources and other celestial bodies. It emphasizes the concept of the “common heritage of mankind” and sets out principles for the equitable sharing of benefits from lunar resources.
In addition to these endeavours, NASA has initiated the Artemis Accords in collaboration with numerous partner nations. Presently, 27 countries, including India, have become signatories to this accord. The Artemis Accords provide a pragmatic framework of principles intended to steer collaborative space exploration efforts among nations involved in NASA’s lunar exploration initiatives of the 21st century. Meanwhile, Russia and China are working together on the development of their own forthcoming lunar outpost, referred to as the International Lunar Research Station, that they are planning to start as early as 2026.
It’s sure that countries shall show their strength in space also that is not good for humanity. We need to consider the whole universe as a common property. Raising above the nationalistic feelings we need to consider ourselves as the children of a common ancestor and need to formulate regulations that support the cause of human survival. Moon or for that matter any outer space planets we are looking for our establishment and survival should be considered as ‘ common heritage of humankind’. The benefits of activities carried out on the Moon by various countries should be equitably shared among the nations and no single power should be allowed to exploit its resources. Otherwise, we may face wars in outer space leading to the complete extinction of our species.
(The author is an adjunct faculty at NIAS, Bangalore.)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
