Mauritius signed the Artemis Accords on July 17, becoming the 70th country backing a shared framework for how missions should operate on the Moon.
The accords do not create binding lunar law; they are a political commitment to apply the 1967 Outer Space Treaty more consistently as governments and companies prepare landers, rovers and longer stays.
Key gaps they try to narrow include how missions notify each other, coordinate near ice-rich polar sites and use temporary safety zones without turning them into de facto territorial claims.
Resource extraction remains the hardest unresolved issue: the accords say using removed material can fit the treaty, but that view is disputed and not shared by all major space powers.
With China and Russia outside the pact and no Moon-specific court or enforcement body, the accords' influence will depend on whether signatories keep safety zones narrow, temporary and transparent in real missions.