India needs to join US-led Artemis Accords: NASA official

Washington: India, which is a global power and one of the few countries with independent access to space, needs to be a part of the Artemis team, which brings like-minded countries together on civil space exploration, a top NASA official has said.

Grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 (OST), the Artemis Accords are a non-binding set of principles designed to guide civil space exploration and use in the 21st century. It is an



American-led effort to return humans to the moon by 2025, with the ultimate goal of expanding space exploration to Mars and beyond.

Bhavya Lal, the associate administrator for technology, policy and strategy within the office of the NASA Administrator, told PTI on Friday that as of May 2023, there are 25 signatories to the Artemis Accords and hoped that India becomes the 26th country.