Artemis Accords Reach 50 with Panama and Austria

Panama and Austria signed the Artemis Accords today. That brings to 50 the number of countries that have signed the U.S.-led non-binding principles for responsible behavior on the Moon in just over four years.

NASA and the U.S. State Department worked with seven other countries in developing the 10 principles in 2020: Australia, Canada, Japan, Italy, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates.  Those original eight countries signed in October 2020 and have been encouraging others to join since then. Nations from all six continents that have governments — Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America — have done so.

The 10 core principles are: peaceful purposes, transparency, interoperability, emergency assistance, registration of space objects, release of scientific data, preserving outer space heritage, space resources, deconfliction of space activities, and orbital debris. They only apply to governments, not the commercial sector, and only to civil activities, not national security.

Redwire’s Mike Gold, who was instrumental in developing the Accords when he was at NASA (2019-2021) and is often referred to as their “father,” told SpacePolicyOnline.com today he is delighted the number has reached 50, but will be even happier when it’s 52 because that will be half of the membership of the U.N. Committee on Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS). UNCOPUOS was the U.N. body that developed the 1967 Outer Space Treaty in which the Accords are rooted and continues to be a key forum for discussions about international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.

“Numbers do matter, and the more countries that sign the Artemis Accords the stronger their influence will be to support vital principles such as transparency, the utilization of space resources, and interoperability.  We must not just launch our astronauts to space but our values as well.  With fifty countries, the Artemis Accords are creating important precedent that will impact and influence even nations that aren’t signatories.  Moreover, while I’m thrilled for the Accords to have garnered fifty signatories, the number that I’m most excited about is 52, since at that point a majority of the members of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space will have signed the Accords which, again, creates a powerful precedent to support a future of peace and prosperity.”  — Mike Gold

The ambassadors from Panama and Austria each signed the Accords at NASA Headquarters in separate ceremonies with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and representatives of the U.S. State Department as the 49th and 50th signatories, respectively.

Nelson welcomed both countries.

“NASA welcomes Panama and Austria to the Artemis Accords community and celebrates 50 countries united by shared principles for the safe and responsible exploration of space. … More than ever before, NASA is opening space to more nations and more people for the benefit of all. Together we are building long-term and peaceful deep space exploration for the Artemis Generation.” — Bill Nelson

Ambassador José Miguel Alemán Healy signed on behalf of the Government of Panama with Nelson and Tony Fernandes, State Department Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES).

In a statement, the State Department said: “The United States welcomes Panama to the Artemis Accords. The U.S.-Panama bilateral relationship has flourished for more than 100 years, enhanced through our enduring economic, security, and cultural ties.”

Ambassador Petra Schneebauer signed on behalf of the Government of Austria, with Nelson and OES Acting Assistant Secretary Jennifer Littlejohn.

The State Department also welcomed Austria and noted that it hosts UNCOPUOS.

“Austria is a vital strategic partner of the United States and, via this signing, has further demonstrated its continuing commitment, alongside the other Artemis Accords signatories, to safe and sustainable international cooperation in outer space.  As the host to the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Austria supports important work to ensure responsible space exploration and best practices in space to keep space sustainable for current and future generations. By signing the Artemis Accords, Austria builds on the already strong bilateral partnership with the United States, based on shared democratic values, a dynamic bilateral trade and investment relationship, and the deep and diverse people-to-people ties that unite us.” — State Department

All countries are welcome to sign the Accords regardless of whether they have space programs or plan to explore the Moon themselves. Although the Accords are designed to guide international participation in the U.S.-led Artemis program, signatories may or may not be part of Artemis.

Austria is a member of the European Space Agency, which is building the Service Module for the Orion spacecraft and major components of the Gateway lunar space station. Now 17 of ESA’s 22 members have joined. The others are: Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

China is leading a separate International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) effort with an ILRS Cooperation Organisation (ILRSCO). The governments of Russia, Venezuela, Belarus, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, South Africa, Egypt, Nicaragua, Thailand, Serbia, Kazakhstan and Senegal are participants in ILRS. China includes non-governmental entities as well, such as companies and universities. Andrew Jones reports in Space News today that an Omani company, not the government, just became the newest participant on December 2.  When the ILRS was announced in 2021, China said the plan was to focus on robotic lunar exploration first, with humans arriving in the mid-2030s, but more recently they’ve said they plan to land taikonauts on the Moon by 2030.