India lands a spacecraft softly on the moon's surface

Unlike rivals such as China and Russia, India has aligned itself with the United States by signing an agreement on space exploration, known as the Artemis Accords, a legal framework that governs activity in space. So far, nearly 30 countries have signed, allowing them to partner with the U.S. on space missions and mandating that they adhere to a set of rules, such as publicly sharing scientific discoveries and creating "safety zones" where nations could work undisturbed on the lunar surface.