The NASA welcomed Sweden as the 38th country to sign the Artemis Accords.
What are Artemis Accords?
- The Artemis Accords are a non-binding set of principles established in 2020 by the US State Department and NASA, designed to guide civil space exploration and use.
- They are grounded in the Outer Space Treaty (OST) of 1967, which is a multilateral pact under the United Nations serving as the foundation for international space law.
- The OST emphasizes that space is a shared resource for humanity, prohibits national appropriation, and encourages the peaceful use of space.
Commitments under the Accords:
- Peaceful Purposes: The signatories commit to conduct space activities for peaceful purposes and in accordance with international law.
- Broad Dissemination: There is a commitment to broadly disseminate national space policies and scientific information resulting from activities.
- Common Infrastructure: They recognize the importance of developing interoperable and common exploration infrastructure, such as communication systems and landing structures, to enhance scientific discovery and commercial utilization.
- Registration and Data Sharing: Signatories agree that space objects should be registered and that scientific data is to be openly shared on time. Private sectors are exempt unless they act on behalf of a signatory.
- Preservation of Heritage: There is a commitment to preserve outer space heritage, including historic landing sites and evidence of activity on celestial bodies.
- Utilization of Space Resources: The utilization of space resources must support safe and sustainable activities and must not interfere with the activities of other signatories. Information on location and nature of resources must be shared to prevent interference.
- Mitigation of Debris: Signatories plan for the safe and timely disposal of spacecraft and commit to limiting the generation of harmful debris.
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