CURRENT AFFAIRS | 1 APRIL 2026
CLAT GK + INTERNATIONAL LAW & SPACE LAW
• Outer Space Treaty 1967 — foundational treaty for space law
• Artemis Accords 2020 — India signed in 2023
• Moon Agreement 1979 — common heritage of mankind
• India’s Gaganyaan & Space Activities Bill
• International cooperation in space exploration (Art 51 — DPSP)
What Happened: Humanity Returns to the Moon
NASA began the countdown on Monday for the Artemis II mission — humanity’s first crewed trip to the Moon’s vicinity in more than 50 years. The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft is set to lift off from Kennedy Space Center, Florida on April 1, 2026, at 6:24 PM EDT.
The mission carries 4 astronauts who will make history:
- Reid Wiseman — Commander (NASA)
- Victor Glover — Pilot, first person of colour on a lunar mission
- Christina Koch — Mission Specialist, first woman beyond low Earth orbit
- Jeremy Hansen — Mission Specialist (Canadian Space Agency), first non-US citizen on a lunar mission
The 10-day mission will follow a free-return trajectory around the Moon, flying approximately 4,700 miles beyond the lunar surface — setting new records for crewed spaceflight distance. This is the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in December 1972.
Legal Framework: International Space Law
1. Outer Space Treaty 1967 (OST)
• Article I: Space shall be free for exploration and use by all States without discrimination
• Article II: Outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty
• Article III: Activities in space must be carried out in accordance with international law
• Article IV: Prohibits placing nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction in space
• Ratified by 114 countries including India, US, Russia, and China
2. Moon Agreement 1979
• Declares the Moon and its resources as the “common heritage of mankind”
• Calls for an international regime to govern resource exploitation
• NOT ratified by major spacefaring nations (US, Russia, China, India)
• Only 18 parties — making it largely ineffective
3. Artemis Accords 2020
• US-led bilateral agreements for civil space exploration
• India signed in June 2023 during PM Modi’s state visit to the US
• Over 40 signatories worldwide
• Principles: peaceful purposes, transparency, interoperability, emergency assistance
• Allows extraction of space resources — controversial under Moon Agreement
India’s Space Program: CLAT Comparison Points
India’s space achievements provide important comparison points for CLAT GK:
- Chandrayaan-3 (2023) — successful lunar south pole landing, making India the 4th country to land on the Moon
- Gaganyaan — India’s first crewed spaceflight program by ISRO, comparable to Artemis crewed missions
- Aditya-L1 — India’s first solar observation mission at Lagrange Point 1
- Indian Space Policy 2023 — opened space sector to private players (IN-SPACe as regulator)
- Space Activities Bill — pending legislation to regulate commercial space activities in India
• Space law questions appear in CLAT GK section — know the key treaties and their articles
• International cooperation angle: Artemis II includes a Canadian astronaut — shows how space transcends borders
• Art 51 DPSP: India shall promote international peace — space cooperation is a key dimension
• Gender milestone: Christina Koch as first woman beyond LEO — connects to equality and representation in STEM
• India’s space diplomacy: Signing Artemis Accords signals alignment with US while maintaining strategic autonomy
| Mission | Artemis II |
| Launch Date | April 1, 2026 |
| Duration | ~10 days |
| Crew Size | 4 astronauts |
| Rocket | Space Launch System (SLS) |
| Spacecraft | Orion |
| Last crewed lunar mission | Apollo 17 (1972) |
| Key Treaty | Outer Space Treaty 1967 |
| India signed Artemis Accords | June 2023 |
S — Space (Outer Space Treaty 1967 — foundational treaty)
P — Prohibition (of weapons in space — Art IV OST)
A — Artemis Accords 2020 (US-led, India joined 2023)
C — Common Heritage (Moon Agreement 1979 — rarely ratified)
E — Exploration free for all (Art I OST — non-discrimination)
Source: NASA, The Indian Express, CBS News — April 2026
Practice Quiz
Test your understanding with these 10 MCQs:
Practice Quiz — 10 CLAT-Style Questions
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