How NASA’s Artemis Accords lay the groundwork for global space cooperation | NASA

IIt was a simple pledge made amid the excitement of a historic moment in space exploration: “We go together,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said. Promise the world As the agency prepares to launch Artemis 1, its first rocket capable of reaching the moon in more than half a century.

Now, nearly two years after that successful unmanned mission, and with the United States moving closer – albeit with a delay – to putting humans on the moon for the first time since 1972, Nelson’s message is clearly resonating.

NASA has matched its giant leaps into space with smaller, but equally important, steps on Earth, resulting in nearly a quarter of the world’s countries joining the summit. Artemis AccordsIt is a global alliance that sets guidelines for future peaceful exploration of deep space.

The expansion of its diplomatic reach has accelerated significantly in recent months, now numbering 12 countries 45 sites Joining since January. Estonia became the latest This week, at the International Astronautical Congress, the world’s largest space conference, in Milan, Nelson is spending the weekend in Bulgaria and Romania, two other members of what he calls the Artemis generation, talking with space and government officials.

Experts say a diverse group of partners will be crucial to NASA’s plans to send a crew, including a spacecraft The first woman and the first person of color On the moon in 2026 and its long-term ambitions to reach Mars. Prior cooperation between nations led to the creation of the International Space Station, but the scale of the Artemis project was unprecedented.

“This is the United States facilitating a global effort to ensure that, with Artemis, we not only build better technology, we build a better future,” said Michael Gould, NASA’s former associate administrator for Space Policy and Partnerships who led her team. Office of International and Interagency Relations.

“At their core, the Artemis Accords represent a pre-emptive strike against conflict and to ensure we have a peaceful future. When we drafted them, we wanted to make sure they were as comprehensive as possible, and that any country that wanted to support responsible, safe and sustainable exploration could do so.

“It is important that we not only take astronauts into space, but that we advance our values ​​of peace, respect for the rule of law, open science, and sustainable activities. This is what the agreements stand for, and this is something that the United States or no country can do or succeed on its own.”

Notably absent from the list of signatories are China and Russia, which are working together to establish a proposed International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) for the lunar South Pole by 2035. Nelson warned that China is masking its military ambitions in space with a civilian programme. Many observers see the country’s invitation to 50 countries, Including Western countriesto join the ILRS project, as a direct challenge to the Artemis Accords.

Gould, who now serves as chief growth officer at Redwire, a leading Florida-based provider of infrastructure for the commercial space industry, sees more subtle messages in NASA’s approach.

“Space is inherently global. There is more that unites us than divides us, both for signatories and non-signatories.”

“Remember, the agreements are designed to be the beginning of the discussion, not the end. They have been enormously effective in creating momentum for dialogue and rules of conduct in places like the United Nations, which includes China and Russia.

“And because the conventions have been signed by 45 countries, if any country acts in a way that is inconsistent with their values, you have at least created a context in which these types of activities will be condemned and seen as a violation of what is quickly becoming conventional international law.

“So, even for countries that haven’t signed the agreements, the agreements have a real, substantive impact. You can’t force any country to sign, but what we can do is set an example, show what good looks like, and I think that has an impact.” trivial.

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 small countries that previously had no apparent interest in space.

He added: “Some do not have space capabilities yet, but they are interested and excited to join and be part of the dialogue.”

“Even small countries realize that they depend on assets in space, satellite data and images for various reasons, agriculture, weather-related issues, checking deforestation trends. So, even countries that two years ago would not have thought were very interested in space and the moon, it is a situation Different, it’s a completely different world.

Zanalda said the growth of the private space industry, from big players like SpaceX to small startups vying for a share, has made the market more global, which he believes has fueled the urgent need for internationally accepted principles.

“Some governments are investing more and more in these activities, which makes sense because a lot of our daily lives, whether we are in the United States, Italy, Rwanda or the Philippines, depend on assets in space. That is why some discussions now are about future rules and regulations for activities Certain.

“The goal of returning to the Moon is close, and the technology, scientific knowledge and training are there, both in terms of astronauts and in terms of private companies capable of providing everything they need on the Moon.

“So the urgency is there. The rapid increase in the number of countries joining the agreements, as well as the geographic spread, is the result of consistent diplomatic work by NASA, the State Department, and other U.S. government agencies over the past two years.

“I personally see the agreements, as well as other diplomatic initiatives, as a practical approach to addressing current and future global challenges. [There’s a] “The need for flexible diplomacy.”