Outer space: Rwanda and Nigeria sign an accord for more responsible exploration – why this matters by Isabella Duncan-Botha Published on June 20, 2023 Science NASA’s Space Launch System rocket carrying the Orion spacecraft launches on the Artemis I flight test on 16 November 2022 Photo: NASA/Bill Ingalls In 2020, the US announced a framework for the private exploitation of space resources. It consists of practical principles to guide exploration, science and commerce in outer space. More