For millennia, civilizations have looked to the sky to ponder the Moon’s origins and mysteries.
Ground-based observations enabled by the invention of the first telescopes opened a new chapter in understanding Earth’s companion and for humanity itself.
‘One small step’
Following the advent of space exploration nearly 70 years ago, the Moon quickly became the final destination of countless scientific missions, including several manned flights that culminated in the famous first Moon landing in 1969.
The United Nations General Assembly has declared International Moon Day on July 20 to honor both the anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing and to raise public awareness of the commitment to sustainable lunar exploration in national and international space programs worldwide.
Reach for the stars
Recognizing the common interest of mankind in outer space, the General Assembly adopted the first resolution concerning space in December 1958, entitled Question about the peaceful use of outer spacedeclared outer space should be reserved for strictly peaceful purposes.
October 1967, UN Treaty in principle Manage the activities of nations in the exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodiesalso took effect.
Among other provisions, the treaty – considered by many to be the “Grand Charter of Space” – forbids States from placing weapons of mass destruction on any satellite or celestial body, or from enforcing national sovereignty claims in outer space.
Nice weather United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is responsible for promoting international cooperation in the peaceful use of space.
UNOOSA serves as the Secretariat for the General Assembly’s sole committee dedicated to addressing international cooperation in the peaceful uses of space: through the Committee on the Outer Peaceful Uses of Space (COPUOS).
A new era of cohesion
Many national space agencies and corporate organizations have begun to realize the economic potential of lunar exploration, particularly in relation to the establishment of radio communications technologies on the moon.
In 2021, the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU) established the Cosmic Frequency Coordination Group (SFCG) to coordinate a multinational effort focused on space research, space operations, and radio astronomy in addition to Earth exploration, meteorology, radio navigation, and intersatellite technologies.
“Peaceful relations and orderly international cooperation for the distribution of radiocommunication in space are essential, whether for multinational or commercial missions,” the statement said. ITU.
international effort
The US space agency, NASA, also led a separate multinational coalition called the Artemis program based on the 1967 United Nations outer space treaty to establish a “sustainable and robust” presence on the moon, the ITU noted.
“Peaceful relationships and orderly international cooperation for the distribution of radiocommunication in space are essential, whether for commercial or multinational missions,” said Cathy Sham, head of the ITU expert group on radiocommunication applications in space, discussing NASA’s Artemis program.
“NASA and fellow space agencies intend to continue their research to improve human life and meet the human need for knowledge about our universe. Such research-supporting exploration missions would not be possible without the work of the ITU,” she said.
UNOOSA has identified many ways in which these international space exploration programs can help meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
