The treaty that governs the Moon was written in 1967, bans nations from owning it, and created no court or police force to enforce the rule — and 70 countries are now helping write the practical rules for what happens when humans return.

The treaty that governs the Moon was written in 1967, bans nations from owning it, and created no court or police force to enforce the rule — and 70 countries are now helping write the practical rules for what happens when humans return.

When Mauritius signed the Artemis Accords on 17 July 2026, it became the 70th country to join a coalition trying to turn broad principles of space law into habits that could work on the lunar surface. The milestone sounds, at first, like the creation of a new legal order for the Moon. It is not. The legal foundation remains the Outer Space Treaty, opened for signature in 1967. The Artemis Accords do not amend that treaty, and they are not bindin…