The treaty that governs the Moon was written in 1967, bans nations from owning it, and created no court or police force to enforce the rule — and 70 countries are now helping write the practical rules
Seventy nations have signed the Artemis Accords to establish practical guidelines for lunar exploration, though the 1967 Outer Space Treaty remains the primary legal framework. The accords do not create new binding international law or enforcement mechanisms regarding lunar sovereignty.
Why it matters
As lunar missions increase, the lack of clear, enforceable international law regarding resource extraction and territory creates potential for future geopolitical friction.
Seventy Artemis Accords signatories are developing practical expectations for lunar missions, but the non-binding coalition does not amend the 1967 Outer Space Treaty or create an enforcement body.
By Space Daily Editorial Team · Edited by Lachlan Brown
When Mauritius signed the Artemis Accords on 17 July 2026, it became the 70th country to join a coalition trying to turn broad principles of space law into habits that could work on the lunar surface. The milestone sounds, at first, like the creation of a new legal order for the Moon.
It is not. The legal foundation remains the Outer Space Treaty, opened for signature in 1967. The Artemis Accords do not amend that treaty, and they are not binding international law. They are a political commitment by their signatories to interpret and apply existing obligations in a broadly similar way.
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