Eight nations sign NASA'S space coalition mission under Artemis Accords

NASA said on Tuesday that eight nations have signed the international agreement for Moon exploration called the Artemis Accords.

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The US space agency aims to humans to the Moon and beyond by 2024. The signatories include the United States, UAE, Canada, Japan, Australia, Italy, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom.

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"Artemis will be the broadest and most diverse international human space exploration program in history, and the Artemis Accords are the vehicle that will establish this singular global coalition," Jim Bridenstine, NASA administrator said, adding,"What we’re trying to do is establish norms of behaviour that every nation can agree to."

The accord seeks to create international space law by establishing "safety zones" in order to prevent countries from getting involved in conflicts in outer space.

Last year, US Vice President Mike Pence had directed NASA to send humans to the Moon by 2024. The US space agency intends to first send a robotic rover to the Moon before sending humans.

"With today's signing, we are uniting with our partners to explore the Moon and are establishing vital principles that will create a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space for all of humanity to enjoy," Bridenstine asserted.

According to the agreement, the members would have to adhere to peaceful exploration and create hardware which can be used operatedby other member nation ensuring transparency.

Russia said it was unlikely to join the group, with China excluded from the agreement.