U.S. Outlines Ambitious Plans for Human Activities on the Moon

The longer term: a new sphere of human activity

Cislunar space is vast. Its volume of space is more than 2,000 times larger than the entire region of space within geosynchronous orbit, and the furthest region of Cislunar space is more than twelve times the distance of geosynchronous orbit from Earth. Spacecraft can operate in a variety of trajectories in Cislunar space including Lunar orbit, trans-lunar trajectories, and in families of orbits in the large regions around Earth-Moon Lagrange points.

A critical region of Cislunar space is the surface of the Moon itself. The Moon is tidally-locked, meaning one hemisphere (the “near side”) always faces the Earth, while the “far side” cannot be seen from Earth. This allows direct communication from Earth to the near side, but keeps the far side in the Shielded Zone of the Moon. The polar regions of the Moon are especially resource rich. Special locations include topographic peaks that are in near-continuous sunlight, and extremely cold, permanently shadowed regions that may preserve substantial deposits of ancient ice and other useful chemical compounds only found in trace amounts in other parts of the Moon.

In addition to government space programs, many other kinds of entities (spanning commercial, nonprofit, and academic actors) are also expected to be operating in Cislunar space in the years ahead. The vision articulated in this document is designed to engage and be relevant to all space-faring entities as part of advancing a sustainable “Cislunar ecosystem.” To implement this vision, it will be necessary for the U.S. government to collaborate with other entities in the Cislunar ecosystem on a broad range of capabilities, standards, and infrastructure.

The United States continues to engage the international community to uphold and strengthen a rulesbased international order for space, including in Cislunar space. Multiple international agreements already govern Cislunar space, including activities on the Lunar surface. This strategy is designed to be fully consistent with those agreements as well as other non-legally binding instruments that are applicable to Cislunar space. Particularly relevant to this strategy are the Outer Space Treaty of 1967,[5] the Rescue Agreement of 1968, [6] the Registration Convention,[7] the Liability Convention,[8] the ITU Radio Regulations,[9] the Artemis Accords,[10] additional efforts of the United Nations Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS),[11] and other ongoing multilateral discussions and international treaties.

5 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and other Celestial Bodies, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

[6] Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts, and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space, United Nations (UN) Office for Outer Space Affairs

[7] Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space, UN Office for Outer Space Affairs

[8] Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects, UN Office for Outer Space Affairs

[9] ITU Radio Regulations, World Radiocommunication Conferences

[10] The Artemis Accords, Principles for Cooperation in the Civil Exploration and Use of the Moon, Mars, Comets, and Asteroids for Peaceful Purposes, NASA

[11] Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs