Nasa has matched its giant leaps in space with less prominent, but equally significant, smaller steps on the ground, signing up almost a quarter of the world’s nations to the Artemis Accords, a global alliance setting guiding principles for the peaceful future exploration of deep space. Nelson has warned China is masking its military ambitions in space through a civilian program, and many observers see the country’s call for 50 countries, including western nations, to join the ILRS project, as a direct challenge to the Artemis Accords. Giovanni Zanalda, director of Duke University’s Rethinking Diplomacy Program and co-founder of its Space Diplomacy Lab, said Nasa has been particularly successful in attracting smaller countries with no previously apparent interest in space.