Eight nations signed a NASA agreement, called the Artemis Accords, which is designed to outline principles that will govern lunar and space exploration missions in the future, according to a NASA press release.
The agreement is named after NASA’s Artemis program, according to Reuters, and was established earlier this year to explicate legal provisions, governing rules for internationally cooperative space missions, and the principles underpinning these missions, i.e., for peaceful purposes with full transparency and with science and safety as a top priority, according to the NASA press release.
The following countries signed the #Artemis Accords, establishing a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation:
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— NASA (@NASA) October 13, 2020
“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 eight nations that signed the agreement on Tuesday are Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, United Arab Emirates, and the United States, according to the NASA press release. “Additional countries” are expected to join the Artemis Accords in the coming months and years. (RELATED: Biden Answers Question On Court Packing: ‘I’m Not A Fan’)
The Artemis Program, the NASA-led lunar exploration program and the namesake for the Artemis Accords, is expected to send a the first woman and another man onto the moon by 2024 via collaboration with “commercial and international partners” with the end goal of sending astronauts to Mars, according to their website.