"No Rules"... The Moon's 'Ttakttameokgi' Has Already Begun [Reading Science]

Delay in NASA Artemis 1 Launch Sparks Claims "International Competition Already in Full Swing"
Lack of Global Norms and Agreements, "First-Mover Countries and Companies Will Dominate"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] "The country or company that claims it first is the owner."

As the launch of Artemis 1, the first test of the U.S. lunar return project, is being delayed, it is expected that full-scale lunar development will proceed in the future, and in the absence of international agreements or regulations, competition among countries to secure lunar resources will be fierce.

Cassandra Steer, Deputy Director of the Australian National University Space Research Institute, recently wrote in a column for the space-specialized media Space.com, "(The launch of the U.S. Artemis 1) is a very interesting step as humanity is going to the moon for the first time since 1972," but she also pointed out, "Now, it is no longer just about leaving footprints on lunar dust; a new competition for lunar resources has begun. Everyone now wants to mine lunar minerals."

Deputy Director Steer added, "Today's lunar exploration is not simply for exploration or the pursuit of knowledge," explaining, "If the lunar exploration of the 1960s was driven by the geopolitical structure of the Cold War era, nowadays it is supported by the recent geopolitical landscape."

Recently, unlike the Cold War era, lunar exploration is being competed for not only by the U.S. and the Soviet Union but by various countries. In fact, lunar exploration is centered around a group composed of the U.S. and its allies such as Europe and Australia, forming one axis, while China and Russia have formed another axis by signing agreements for manned lunar exploration by 2026 and lunar base construction by 2035. India is also developing a lunar landing rover, and the United Arab Emirates plans to launch a lunar lander this November. South Korea has embarked on independent lunar exploration, following the launch of a lunar orbiter last month and plans to send a landing explorer around 2031.

Deputy Director Steer analyzed this situation by saying, "Each country's lunar exploration programs are not simply about astronauts visiting the moon briefly and returning, but have additional purposes," and "In the long term, they have entered a competition to acquire lunar resources."

She went on to mention resources that can be obtained on the moon, such as ice and methane fuel gases presumed to exist at the lunar south pole. If these resources are discovered, it would enable the construction of lunar bases and long-term habitation by humanity. This is a strong justification for NASA's Artemis Agreement, which promotes international joint construction of the Lunar Gateway. The Lunar Gateway can connect the moon and Earth and serve as an advanced base for deep space exploration such as Mars exploration.

Deputy Director Steer further stated, "Ultimately, lunar development is for going to Mars," but added, "In the short term, countries and companies that first claim the most economically viable mines will dominate the emerging lunar economy and politics." In other words, "First come, first served."

Steer especially predicted that competition to secure lunar resources internationally will be fierce in the future. Currently, there are no international rules or agreements related to lunar or space development. The 1967 United Nations (UN) Outer Space Treaty prohibits countries or individuals from claiming any form of ownership or sovereignty in outer space. However, no one has answered whether mining and exporting resources from the moon fall under this prohibition. The UN is currently conducting multinational discussions through a working group to establish legal regulatory measures for space resource development activities, but no clear conclusions have been reached yet. Although the 1979 Moon Agreement, signed by 18 countries, exists, it only prohibits the privatization of lunar resources and includes provisions to establish rules when technology matures. Rather, since 2020, the U.S. has concluded the Artemis Agreement with 21 countries including South Korea, effectively legitimizing activities such as lunar resource mining and export.