Technology

The Artemis Moon base project is legally dubious

Published

1 week ago

April 1, 2026

The Artemis Moon base project is legally dubious

With NASA planning to launch four astronauts on Wednesday on its Artemis II mission, the race to return to the Moon is back on. The current mission will see astronauts aboard the Orion capsule travel around the Moon before returning to Earth in 10 days’ time. They’ll be testing out the hardware and systems that could soon see Americans standing on the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years in the Artemis IV mission scheduled for 2028. NASA isn’t ready to land people on the Moon just yet, but that’s the aim for the next five years: to not only get people onto the Moon but establish a lengthy human presence on its surface.

That’s NASA’s selling point of Artemis, compared to the Apollo missions of the 1960s and ’70s — we won’t just be visiting the Moon for a few days, but rather inhabiting it for a long period of time. Exactly how long is still unclear, but the idea is to build a Moon base that allows astronauts to live on the lunar surface for weeks or even months at a time.

That makes logistics much more complicated, as astronauts won’t be able to bring all the supplies and resources they would need along with them. Instead, they would need to make use of the limited resources that exist on the Moon, in a process called in-situ resource utilization. Rather than hauling a huge amount of water along for the ride from Earth, for example, we’ll just go and find some ice on the Moon and melt that to use instead. Simple, right?

That’s the justification underlying much of Artemis: Resources are needed to support a Moon base, so we need to build a Moon base to search for them.

It’s really not. There’s the science. And there’s the law.

The Moon’s environment is harsh and inhospitable, with dangerous space radiation, dusty material called regolith that is sharp as glass and destroys equipment, and a different level of gravity to contend with. Though less of a fantasy than the wild Mars colonization plans promised by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, NASA’s aim to establish a base on the Moon by 2030 is still wildly optimistic. Throughout its messaging on Artemis, NASA has emphasized the importance of identifying and extracting resources from the Moon, including water for fuel, helium-3 for energy, and rare earth elements like scandium that are used in electronics. It’s hard to know how abundant these resources are until they’ve been more fully mapped and assessed, but there is at least potential value, as they are required for sustaining habitation on the Moon. And that’s the justification underlying much of Artemis: Resources are needed to support a Moon base, so we need to build a Moon base to search for them.

The agency has even described these efforts as a “lunar gold rush.” But this points to a problem with Artemis that isn’t solvable by developing new technologies: Some experts say that extracting resources from the Moon is a violation of international law.

There isn’t a huge amount of international law that applies to space exploration, but what there is is very clear in one regard: No one owns the Moon. The Outer Space Treaty (which was signed nearly 60 years ago but is still the main basis for international law in space today, if you can believe it) is very explicit regarding the principle of non-appropriation, meaning that nations can’t claim sovereignty over any body in space. But what about extracting resources? There, we get into sticky territory.

“The US considers that resource extraction is not appropriation … That is an incorrect interpretation of the Outer Space Treaty.”

“The US considers that resource extraction is not appropriation,” says Cassandra Steer, space law expert and founder of the Australasian Centre for Space Governance. Many international space lawyers, including Steer, have argued that this is unlawful. “That is an incorrect interpretation of the Outer Space Treaty. You’re trying to carve out a loophole.” After all, if a nation started digging up resources from a territory it didn’t have claim to on Earth these days, that would cause a few legal problems.

The US has been tactical in its approach to this issue, through the use of an agreement called the Artemis Accords. This is not an international treaty, but rather an agreement signed by over 60 nations about adopting high-level principles regarding space exploration and the Moon in particular. Many of these principles are sound, reasonable approaches to space exploration, covering topics like the sharing of scientific data, consideration of safety and emergency procedures, and adherence to the peaceful use of space.

But the document also includes sections specifically allowing the extraction and use of space resources, saying that this doesn’t conflict with the principle of non-appropriation, and allowing specific nations to establish “safety zones” around areas of their lunar activity where other nations cannot interfere.

That’s not exactly saying that whoever gets to the Moon first and claims a chunk of it now owns it, but it is implicitly saying that whoever starts activities like research or mining in a certain lunar region now gets to extract resources from that region and other countries can’t stop them. It’s not owning a piece of the Moon, but it is getting priority access to it by drilling, scraping, and occupying a strategic location for its potential value.

It’s hard not to draw a parallel between this approach and the history of land grabs across the American West in the 19th century, especially regarding access to key resources such as water. “I think the Artemis Accords might open the door for these sorts of access claims on the Moon,” says Rebecca Boyle, journalist and author of a book on the topic, Our Moon. “The accords do say that safety zones should be relevant to the activities at hand, but again, I think a creative attorney or a nifty legal argument could lead to a situation where someone who gets to a spot first uses the safety zone rule to lay claim to whatever is there.”

The smart move on the part of the US was integrating the accords into the Artemis program, so countries that wanted to be involved in Artemis had to sign the document. With a handful of key players like Canada, Japan, Australia, the UAE, and the UK signed on, many other countries, including France, Israel, Saudi Arabia, India, and Germany, followed suit.

“And so, it was a bit of a strong-arming of the US to say, if you want in on our program, you have to agree with our international law interpretation. It is forcing what we call opinio juris in international law,” Steer explains. The power of this consensus from so many countries is that, if resource extraction is tolerated in practice, the original intention of the treaty can be in effect overruled by a broadly accepted interpretation.

Steer summed up NASA’s approach bluntly: “You’re just trying to rewrite the treaty, and somehow you’ve convinced 60 countries to do it with you.”

“Why go to the Moon? And it is, to my mind, purely geopolitical.”

The real elephant in the room of this legal wrangling is China, which did not sign the Artemis Accords and is on course to set its own astronauts on the Moon perhaps even before the US can. China and the US have practically zero relationship when it comes to space activities, but China has been building its own international cooperations for its lunar program, including signing an agreement with Russia and carrying payloads from various European countries and Saudi Arabia on its lunar rovers. China has plans to build its own Moon base with Russia called the International Lunar Research Station, and the US is aggressively pushing its Moon program to try to beat its rivals to the punch.

“The multi-trillion- dollar question is, why go to the Moon? And it is, to my mind, purely geopolitical,” Steer says. That’s certainly what drove the US during the last space race, when the Cold War was in full swing and racing the Soviet Union to the Moon was not just a matter of political power but also an attempt to demonstrate who had the superior political ideology. Now, in the age of America First Trumpism, the US is attempting to prove its power and capability once again, but the nationalist rhetoric fails to capture the reality of space exploration, which is that it’s now dependent on international partnerships and cross-border cooperation.

Today, it’s not only prestige that is at stake but also access to space resources, from controlling cislunar orbits and lunar locations to controlling the materials required for the Moon’s further exploration, such as ice or helium-3. NASA, after all, has been notably circular in its justifications for Artemis: We need to send astronauts to the Moon to secure access to ice, because we need access to water to support human exploration. There are potential scientific justifications for a Moon mission, from learning about the formation of the Solar System to using the Moon as a base for building a powerful telescope, but these haven’t been well articulated or widely promoted by NASA.

“The real justification, the hidden one, is who gets to have political dominance,” Steer says. “Space is just another domain where geopolitics are playing out. It’s no different from the AI race, it’s no different from competition around other resources, around oil, around water … It’s another domain where the US is grasping at straws to remain the single dominant power, and discovering that actually it can’t.”

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Georgina Torbet

Related Topics:law NASA policy science space

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Technology

Why Microsoft’s war on Windows’ Control Panel is taking so long

Published

11 hours ago

April 8, 2026

Press Room

Why Microsoft’s war on Windows’ Control Panel is taking so long

Microsoft first started trying to get rid of the Control Panel in 2012, with the launch of Windows 8. More than a decade later, it’s still working on migrating all the old Control Panel items into the modern Settings app in Windows 11. While there have been hints that the Control Panel might finally go away, the reality is a lot more complicated for Microsoft.

“We’re doing it carefully because there are a lot of different network and printer devices & drivers we need to make sure we don’t break in the process,” explains March Rogers, partner director of design at Microsoft. I could be wrong, but I think this is the first full explanation we’ve had from Microsoft about why it’s taken so long to get rid of the Control Panel.

It looked like Microsoft was about to finally cut the Control Panel in 2024, after years of Microsoft pushing aside the Control Panel in its latest Windows 11 updates. But a support note hinting at the imminent removal of the Control Panel was quickly updated to confirm Microsoft was still in the process of migrating the Control Panel to the Settings app.

Last year Microsoft also migrated clock settings, keyboard character repeat delay, mouse cursor blink rate, and formatting for time, number, and currency into the Settings app. There are also plenty of other mouse settings in the main Settings app that let you avoid the Control Panel these days.

I can’t remember the last time I used the Control Panel thanks to Microsoft’s recent mouse and keyboard improvements to the main Settings app, but a lot of Windows users used to prefer the legacy interface simply because you don’t have to dig into multiple levels to find different controls.

Microsoft is “focusing on design craft in Windows at the moment,” according to Rogers. The Settings interface is being “redesigned for clarity” this month, alongside other improvements to Windows 11 that are part of a broader effort to fix the OS.

Technology

Home robot cooks, cleans and organizes your life

Published

12 hours ago

April 8, 2026

Press Room

Home robot cooks, cleans and organizes your life

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Ready for a home robot that wakes you up, makes breakfast and even cleans the house afterward? It may sound far-fetched. However, the Chinese robotics company UniX AI says it is closer than most people think.

The company’s new Panther series robot is designed to handle full daily routines rather than just one task at a time. It can move through a home, interact with objects and complete multistep actions without constant input.

UniX AI is already testing the system in real homes and service environments. That shift from the lab to everyday use is what makes this worth paying attention to.

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AI ROBOT NOW HELPS TRAVELERS AT SAN JOSÉ AIRPORT

A new home robot from UniX AI is being tested on chores like laundry, kitchen work and picking up household items. The company says the goal is a machine that can finish full routines with limited input. (CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

The tech behind this AI home robot

The robot stands about 5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs roughly 170 pounds based on reported specs. Instead of walking like a humanoid, it moves on wheels. That choice improves stability and helps it run longer on a single charge. This robot can run roughly 6 to 12 hours, depending on use.

A six-microphone array lets it hear and respond to voice commands. That gives it a more natural way to interact with people. Its robotic arms are another key piece. They have multiple joints and can lift up to about 26 pounds. That allows for precise movements like picking up items or placing them exactly where they belong.

Under the hood, the robot is packed with sensors and hardware that help it understand and move through your home. It uses cameras and depth sensors to see objects and spaces. It can also rely on LiDAR to map its surroundings and avoid obstacles.

What this AI home robot can actually do

This robot is designed to follow through on tasks from start to finish. Instead of stopping after one action, it can continue working through a routine without needing constant input.

In recent demonstrations, UniX AI shows the robot preparing food, organizing items and interacting with home appliances inside real residential settings.

That matters because real homes are messy and unpredictable. The robot has to recognize objects, adjust to different layouts and handle tasks in sequence.

Here are a few examples of what it is being tested to do:

Prepare simple meals and handle kitchen tasks
Assist with basic routines like morning prep
Clean rooms and surfaces
Pick up and organize everyday items
Move objects from one place to another
Handle laundry tasks like moving clothes and hanging them to dry

Some of these tasks may sound simple, but they are difficult for machines. Handling objects, moving through tight spaces and working around everyday clutter are still major challenges in robotics.

This is what makes the system stand out. It is not just completing one action. It is working through a series of steps in real environments.

US TARGETS CHINESE ROBOTS OVER SECURITY FEARS

UniX AI says its new Panther robot can handle daily household routines, from meal prep to cleaning, in real homes. The company is positioning it as a general-purpose home assistant, not a single-task machine. (REUTERS/Steve Marcus)

Why this AI home robot is different

Most home robots you see today are built for one job. Think robot vacuums or lawn mowers. This system brings those functions into one platform. It works more like a general-purpose helper.

The difference comes down to how it handles tasks. It can plan and complete a sequence instead of waiting for step-by-step instructions. That is where embodied AI comes in.

It connects software intelligence with physical movement in the real world. Instead of only answering questions, the robot can take action.

What is holding AI home robots back

Even with all this progress, there are real hurdles. Homes are unpredictable. Lighting changes throughout the day. Objects come in all shapes and textures. Spaces get cluttered fast. Tasks that seem simple to humans can be difficult for machines. Folding clothes, handling soft materials or moving through tight spaces are still major challenges. Cost and safety matter too. Most people will not bring a robot into their home unless it can handle all of that and work reliably every single day.

What this means to you

You are not replacing your morning routine with a robot tomorrow. But this shows where things are heading. The idea of a home assistant that handles chores is moving closer to reality. That could mean less time spent cleaning and more time for everything else.

At the same time, it raises questions about trust, privacy and cost. A robot that sees your home and hears your voice needs strong safeguards.

For now, think of this as an early glimpse. It is not about buying one today. It is about understanding what could become normal sooner than expected.

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HUMANOID ROBOT SHOWS SPEED AND REAL SKILL

UniX AI’s robot is designed to cook, clean, organize and assist with daily routines in residential settings. The early tests offer a glimpse at how embodied AI could reshape life at home. (REUTERS/Tingshu Wang)

Kurt’s key takeaways

The idea of a robot that cooks, cleans and organizes your life has been around for decades. What feels different now is how close the pieces are coming together. This robot shows real progress in combining movement, perception and decision-making. It is still early, but it is already being tested in real homes. The next few years will show whether it becomes something more of us rely on every day.

If a robot could handle your daily chores, would you trust it inside your home? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

Nothing’s noise-canceling CMF Buds 2A are down to just $19.99 just for today

Published

23 hours ago

April 7, 2026

Press Room

Nothing’s noise-canceling CMF Buds 2A are down to just .99 just for today

It’s not every day you find a decent pair of wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation, a transparency mode, and app support for less than $20, which is why the current lighting deal on the CMF Buds 2A stands out. Now through 11:15PM ET today, April 7th, Nothing’s budget earbuds are available on Amazon in all three colors for just $19.99 ($29 off), which matches their lowest price to date.

For the price, the Buds 2A cover the basics and then some. They deliver decent (albeit a little tinny) sound and 42 decibels of noise cancellation, along with an IP54 rating and a useful transparency mode for staying aware of your surroundings. They also provide a commendable eight hours of battery life per charge with ANC disabled — or up to 35.5 with the included charging case — and feature four onboard mics that leverage Nothing’s noise reduction tech, which helps boost voice call quality. I wouldn’t say voice clarity is their strong suit, though, again, they’re a $20 pair of earbuds.

Like the rest of Nothing’s entry-level earbuds, the 2A also work with the Nothing X app, adding a level of flexibility that’s hard to find at this price. With the app, you can tweak EQ settings, adjust the bass response, switch between ANC modes, or quickly enable multi-device pairing. There’s even a “find my earbuds” feature if you lose them, and you can assign a gesture to trigger your phone’s virtual assistant on the fly, whether that’s Siri or Google Assistant. On top of that, if you’re using a Nothing or CMF phone, you can use your voice to access ChatGPT directly through the earbuds.