The Artemis Accords and the Evolution of Space Law: Navigating Customary Norms, Resource Exploitation, and Sovereign Ambitions

The Artemis Accords, established on 13 October 2020, mark a decisive methodological shift in international space governance. Rather than seeking a formal multilateral treaty through the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), the United States has pursued a strategy of recruiting signatory nations into bilateral commitments that operationalise a contested interpretation of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. With 67 signatories as of May 2026, the Accords command signi