June 2019
The challenge of planetary protection
... IX reads, “States Parties to the Treaty shall pursue studies of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, and conduct exploration of them so as to avoid their harmful contamination and also adverse changes in the environment of the...
May 2017
Humanity is moving towards a new reality
... US. Already some have claimed that authorising such space mining activity is tantamount to a claim of sovereignty over the celestial body where the extraction would take place. Those proposing to undertake this type of extraction says this is not...
January 2019
Visiting an asteroid to find out how life began
... Hayabusa mission. Makoto is additionally interested in the issue of planetary defence, which concerns potential Earth impacts from celestial bodies. He is a member of the NEO (Near Earth Object) working group in the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs...
October 2020
Is NASA’s Artemis Accords agreement Moon-proof?
... Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies The Rescue Agreement of 1968 The Space Liability Convention of 1972 The Registration Convention of 1976 The Moon...
September 2016
Life in the extremes: confessions of an astrobiologist
... at University College London (UCL) where I learnt about the importance of geology in influencing the possibility of life forming on celestial bodies: from moons like our own giving planets stability and shielding them from asteroid collisions, and...
January 2020
Rule of law vital for humanity’s sustainability and survival
... regard to the corresponding interests of all other States. States are prohibited from appropriating outer space and celestial bodies by any means. States are internationally responsible for national space activities and for assuring that space...
