The Accords do make clear that the extraction and use of space resources are permitted, Gold said. But that's basically all they say on the topic, he stressed; there's nothing in the agreements about recognizing a right to commercial mining subject to national regulation only. And the Artemis Accords will be government-to-government agreements, so the part about companies declaring safety zones doesn't make much sense, Gold said. In addition, "safety zones are simply an area where there should be notification as to what a country is doing and where it's conducting activities, and an obligation to coordinate to avoid harmful interference, as required by the Outer Space Treaty," he said. "To exclude actors from any zone of operation would be a violation of the Outer Space Treaty. And it's certainly not in the Artemis Accords, which is grounded in the Outer Space Treaty."The coming agreements will give some much-needed teeth to the mostly unenforceable Outer Space Treaty, which proponents of multilateral agreements should appreciate, Gold added. "The Artemis Accords, for the first time, actually create consequences for not following the Outer Space Treaty — that any nation that violates the principles of the Outer Space Treaty would not be able to participate in the Artemis program," he said. [...]All of us should get a chance to see the Artemis Accords before too much longer; Gold said NASA aims to release them "soon."
Oct. 13, 2020RELEASE 20-097 NASA, International Partners Advance Cooperation with First Signings of Artemis AccordsInternational cooperation on and around the Moon as part of the Artemis program is taking a step forward today with the signing of the Artemis Accords between NASA and several partner countries. The Artemis Accords establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in the agency’s 21st century lunar exploration plans.“Artemis will be the broadest and most diverse international human space exploration program in history, and the Artemis Accords are the vehicle that will establish this singular global coalition,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “With today’s signing, we are uniting with our partners to explore the Moon and are establishing vital principles that will create a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space for all of humanity to enjoy.”While NASA is leading the Artemis program, which includes sending the first woman and next man to the surface of the Moon in 2024, international partnerships will play a key role in achieving a sustainable and robust presence on the Moon later this decade while preparing to conduct a historic human mission to Mars.The founding member nations that have signed the Artemis Accords, in alphabetical order, are:AustraliaCanadaItalyJapanLuxembourgUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited States of AmericaNASA announced it was establishing the Artemis Accords earlier this year to guide future cooperative activities, to be implemented through bilateral agreements that will describe responsibilities and other legal provisions. The partners will ensure their activities comply with the accords in carrying out future cooperation. International cooperation on Artemis is intended not only to bolster space exploration but to enhance peaceful relationships among nations.“Fundamentally, the Artemis Accords will help to avoid conflict in space and on Earth by strengthening mutual understanding and reducing misperceptions. Transparency, public registration, deconflicting operations – these are the principles that will preserve peace,” said Mike Gold, NASA acting associate administrator for international and interagency relations. “The Artemis journey is to the Moon, but the destination of the Accords is a peaceful and prosperous future.”The Artemis Accords reinforce and implement the 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, otherwise known as the Outer Space Treaty. They also reinforce the commitment by the U.S. and partner nations to the Registration Convention, the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, and other norms of behavior that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data.The principles of the Artemis Accords are:Peaceful Exploration: All activities conducted under the Artemis program must be for peaceful purposesTransparency: Artemis Accords signatories will conduct their activities in a transparent fashion to avoid confusion and conflictsInteroperability: Nations participating in the Artemis program will strive to support interoperable systems to enhance safety and sustainabilityEmergency Assistance: Artemis Accords signatories commit to rendering assistance to personnel in distressRegistration of Space Objects: Any nation participating in Artemis must be a signatory to the Registration Convention or become a signatory with alacrityRelease of Scientific Data: Artemis Accords signatories commit to the public release of scientific information, allowing the whole world to join us on the Artemis journeyPreserving Heritage: Artemis Accords signatories commit to preserving outer space heritageSpace Resources: Extracting and utilizing space resources is key to safe and sustainable exploration and the Artemis Accords signatories affirm that such activities should be conducted in compliance with the Outer Space TreatyDeconfliction of Activities: The Artemis Accords nations commit to preventing harmful interference and supporting the principle of due regard, as required by the Outer Space TreatyOrbital Debris: Artemis Accords countries commit to planning for the safe disposal of debrisAdditional countries will join the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues to work with its international partners to establish a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space. Working with emerging space agencies, as well as existing partners and well-established space agencies, will add new energy and capabilities to ensure the entire world can benefit from the Artemis journey of exploration and discovery.Learn more about NASA’s Artemis program at:http://www.nasa.gov/artemis/-end-
We have signed an agreement with @NASA to play a key role in the return to the Moon. The #ArtemisAccords, signed today with international partners, establish principles for exploration, science and commercial activities in space.
The following countries signed the #Artemis Accords, establishing a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation:AustraliaCanadaJapanUSALuxembourgItalyUnited KingdomUnited Arab Emirates
"The #Artemis Accords are the beginning." Administrator @JimBridenstine explains how a coalition of nations will sign an agreement that will set a precedent moving forward for peaceful space exploration:
LIVE NOW: Join Administrator @JimBridenstine & Acting Associate Administrator for International & Interagency Relations Mike Gold for an update about #Artemis from #IAC2020: https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1nAKEAYVgMoKL
Today, the CSA proudly joins seven other space agencies in signing the #ArtemisAccords. This commitment is an important step towards ensuring safe and sustainable exploration beyond Earth’s orbit: https://asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronomy/moon-exploration/news.asp#20201013.
BREAKING: Today, we are announcing that 8 countries have signed the #Artemis Accords! The Artemis program will be the broadest and most diverse international space exploration coalition in history. And we're just getting started. #IAC2020 More: https://go.nasa.gov/3jVlE6v
International cooperation on Artemis is intended not only to bolster space exploration but to enhance peaceful relationships between nations. I couldn't be more supportive of @JimBridenstine & today's signing of the #Artemis Accords. Learn more:
The #ARTEMISACCORDS is based on a shared vision for principles grounded in the @UN’s Outer #Space Treaty of 1967. It aims to create a safe and transparent environment that facilitates space exploration, science and commercial activities for the benefit of all humanity.
We are proud to announce that the UAE Space Agency has signed the #Artemis Accords, an international treaty that aims to further cement the principles of peaceful collaboration and co-existence in the exploration of space, planetary science and space engineering.
Eight Countries Sign Artemis Accords https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/eight-countries-sign-artemis-accords/
Text of the Artemis Accords:https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis-accords/img/Artemis-Accords-signed-13Oct2020.pdf
Mike Gold, of NASA, told me in May he hoped to find at least one signatory for the Artemis Accords before the end of the year. It's October, and he's got seven. This speaks to the global demand for lunar exploration.
Yep. Sometimes called MOU, other times, Joint Understandings, or Statements of Intent, or whatever. There is no 1 term. A few times they've been called Accords. BUT to make it all annoying, the BINDING texts subordinate to the ISS IGA are called MOUs for some unfathomable reason.If status of a text is unclear, look at the language. US, UK, Canada are careful about how commitments are written. Save "agree" "shall" etc for binding. "Intend" "commit" etc for non-binding. Ymmv for old texts, less standard practice 10+ yrs ago
Australia has signed the @NASA #ArtemisAccords. We stood 'virtually' on the stage with @JimBridenstine at #IAC2020 with our international counterparts to share Australia's support for our return to the Moon and onto Mars.https://industry.gov.au/news-media/australian-space-agency-news/australia-signs-nasas-artemis-accords
The Accords are bilateral agreements between governments, not agencies. Just like the ISS IGA was signed by the 11 European governments, not ESA.
Canada joins U.S.-led Artemis Accords to send human explorers back to Moon and beyond http://cp24.to/8OaRc0h
Marcia Smith makes a good point. The Artemis Accords will not be signed by ESA because it is an agreement between countries (as is the case for the IGA). But the related Artemis MOUs are likely to be signed by ESA (as is the case for the ISS MOUs). Quote from: Marcia SmithThe Accords are bilateral agreements between governments, not agencies. Just like the ISS IGA was signed by the 11 European governments, not ESA.https://twitter.com/SpcPlcyOnline/status/1316185906601177088
