Understanding the Lunar Governance Challenge

Advanced Military Technologies
Written By Wini Gurung

Published January 24, 2024

This Takshashila Discussion Document provides an overview of lunar governance challenges.

Executive Summary

  • Human activity on the Moon is set to spike over the coming decade as spacefaring states pursue ambitious projects for lunar exploration, habitation, and resource utilisation.

  • Lunar activity is driven by scientific, political, economic, and even strategic considerations. International competition for prestige and technological supremacy will spur exploration of the Moon.

  • The present architecture of lunar governance consists of a mix of ageing treaties and informal agreements that have little to say about pressing issues such as deconfliction, heritage sites, and resource utilisation.

  • The Artemis Accords cannot replace the need for a revised multilateral, legally binding treaty governing human activity on the Moon.

  • As a spacefaring state with significant lunar ambitions, India’s preferred outcome would be to place reasonable restraints on the activities of more advanced spacefarers, while ensuring its own freedom of action.

Author

Featured
Aditya Ramanathan
Aditya Ramanathan

Aditya is an Associate Fellow with the Takshashila Institution. A journalist by training, he has previously worked at Mint and as a freelancer. He has also researched and written on colonial-era Indian military history.

Wini Gurung
Previous

Assessing the Global and Local Landscape of ‘Critical Technologies’
Next

The Quad in the Western Indian Ocean Region