The 1979 Moon Agreement does all that. Then why are there just eleven ratifications (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines and Uruguay) and five signatories (India France, Guatemala, Peru, and Romania)? Perhaps the reluctance to ratify is on account of a lack of understanding of the principles of Common Heritage of Mankind (CHM) and to sharing benefits of the moon, celestial bodies and their natural resources embedded in the agreement.

Can the 1979 Moon Agreement serve our purpose? It can. A comprehensive understanding of the scope and application of the CHM and Sharing principles is essential. It is important to know that the agreement does not mandate ‘equal sharing’. It requires equitable sharing, the specific scope and methodology of which is to be determined by ratifying states parties at the appropriate time, subject to amendments.

Ratifying the 1979 Moon Agreement will give our moon related activities international legal sanction as distinguished from Russia, US and China which have not yet signed the agreement.

Lastly, the 1979 Moon Agreement reinforces the 1967 OST mandate of the peaceful use of outer space, the moon and celestial bodies. It prohibits threat or use of force or any other hostile act, or threat of hostile act, or the use of the moon to commit hostile acts or to engage in any such threat in relation to the earth, the moon, spacecraft, personnel in spacecraft or man-made space objects. These prohibitions are critical, particularly in view of China’s recent demonstration of ASAT capability and because of new developments in space weapons technologies. Understanding the nuances of ‘space security’, ‘peaceful uses of space’ and ‘weaponisation of space’ is urgent.

... contd.