Moon Missions — Tech Evolutions

Entry	Year	Description	Impact
Outer Space Treaty (1967)	1967	The 'Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies' is the foundational international legal instrument for space law. It establishes principles of non-appropriation of celestial bodies, freedom of exploration, and international responsibility for national space activities.	It forms the bedrock for all lunar missions, ensuring peaceful exploration and preventing national claims of sovereignty over the Moon. Its principles guide international cooperation and competition, though its interpretation regarding resource extraction is a subject of ongoing debate.
Moon Agreement (1979)	1979	The 'Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies' attempts to expand upon the Outer Space Treaty, declaring the Moon and its natural resources as the 'common heritage of mankind' and proposing an international regime to govern resource exploitation.	Despite its intentions, the Moon Agreement has not been widely ratified by major spacefaring nations (including the US, Russia, China, India), largely due to concerns over its 'common heritage' clause potentially restricting future resource utilization. Consequently, its practical impact on current lunar missions is limited, but it remains a reference point in discussions on lunar resource governance.
Artemis Accords (2020 onwards)	2020	A series of non-binding bilateral agreements led by the US, establishing principles for safe, peaceful, and transparent civil space exploration, particularly for the Artemis program. They aim to operationalize aspects of the Outer Space Treaty, including principles for space resource utilization.	The Accords represent a contemporary effort to establish norms for lunar exploration and resource extraction, attracting numerous signatories including India. They are shaping the framework for international cooperation in the new era of lunar exploration, though they are not universally accepted, leading to a bifurcated approach to lunar governance with non-signatories like China and Russia.