"NASA, China, Russia Race to Power Moon with Nuclear Reactors"
Outer Space Treaty (1967)
international treaty barring any country from claiming ownership of the moon or other celestial bodies
Artemis Accords
US-led set of bilateral agreements on norms for peaceful lunar and space exploration
Space activity is governed by the Outer Space Treaty (1967), the base law of space. It bars any country from appropriating the moon or any celestial body through occupation or any other means. For decades this principle was mostly theoretical. No country had a lasting presence on the moon. That changed once missions confirmed that cold, permanently dark craters near the moon's south pole hold frozen water. This water can support astronauts. It can be split into hydrogen and oxygen to fuel rockets. India's own Chandrayaan-3 mission became the first in the world to land near this little-explored south polar region.
To manage new interest in the moon, NASA created the Artemis Accords in 2020. These are bilateral agreements on norms like transparency and peaceful use. A key feature is the idea of temporary 'safety zones'. These are areas a country can declare around its equipment. They prevent interference by others. India joined the Artemis Accords in 2023 as the 27th signatory. Membership has since grown to about 50 countries. Neither China nor Russia has joined. Instead they lead a rival programme, the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). This split gives the Accords an increasingly alliance-like character in how the moon will be governed.
Most places on the moon get about two weeks of sunlight followed by two weeks of darkness. This is a problem for solar power. Near the south pole, deep crater floors called permanently shadowed regions never receive sunlight at all. They stay colder than minus 200 degrees Celsius. These same freezing craters are exactly where water ice survives. Both the US and China have focused their base plans there. A nuclear reactor solves the power problem. It can generate electricity regardless of sunlight, something solar panels cannot do during the long lunar night.
Power needs on the moon will only grow. A 2020 NASA assessment estimated that producing 10 tonnes of oxygen by splitting lunar water ice would need about 68 kW of power. Against that benchmark, NASA's planned 20 kW reactor and Russia's planned 10 kW reactor for the ILRS look like early, modest steps. …
Consider the following statements regarding space law:
1.The Outer Space Treaty, 1967 prohibits any country from appropriating the moon through occupation or any other means.
2.The Artemis Accords permit signatories to declare temporary 'safety zones' around their lunar operations to prevent harmful interference.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Match List-I (Instrument/Programme) with List-II (Associated feature) and select the correct answer using the codes given below:
List-I
A.Outer Space Treaty
B.Artemis Accords
C.International Lunar Research Station (ILRS)
List-II
1.Led by China and Russia
2.Bars national appropriation of celestial bodies
3.Allows declaration of temporary safety zones
Consider the following statements regarding the lunar south pole:
1.It experiences continuous sunlight throughout the lunar year, unlike other parts of the moon.
2.Permanently shadowed craters there preserve water ice that can be electrolysed into rocket propellant.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
India joined the Artemis Accords in which year, and as which numbered signatory?
Which of the following best explains why nuclear reactors, rather than solar panels, are preferred for a semi-permanent base near the lunar south pole?
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