Another country has joined the US moon exploration framework.
Belgium signed the Artemis Accords on Tuesday (23 January), becoming the 34th country to do so.
“We congratulate Belgium on becoming a new member of the Artemis Accord family,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement. “It is clear that countries around the world understand the opportunities that space presents. As the 34th signatory to the Artemis Accords, Belgium is demonstrating great leadership in addressing responsible exploration in the 21st century. .”
Related: What is the Artemis Accords?
As Nelson pointed out, the Artemis Accords set out a set of principles for the peaceful and responsible exploration of the final frontier, particularly the Moon, which NASA is targeting with its Artemis program.
Artemis aims to establish a permanent and sustainable human presence in and around Earth’s closest neighbors by the end of the 2020s. NASA plans to achieve this goal with the support of a variety of commercial and international partners, including many signatories of the agreement.
Belgium took part in Tuesday’s ceremony at the Brussels Museum of Fine Arts, with Haja Rabib and Thomas Delmine signing on behalf of the country.
“Joining the Artemis Accord reflects the logic of our cooperation and will allow Belgium to participate in the working groups of the countries that have already signed it,” Dermin said. Delmin is Belgium’s Secretary of State for Economic Recovery and Strategic Investment, and is responsible for the country’s science policy.
“Belgium always has its feet on the ground and its head above the stars,” added Rahbib. Mr. Rabib is the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of European Affairs and Foreign Trade, and Minister of Federal Cultural Institutions.
“We are one of the world leaders in space exploration,” she said. “The signing of the Artemis Accords demonstrates our continued commitment to a sustainable and responsible space and strengthens our relationships with international partners. It opens up new economic opportunities for those of us with the knowledge.”
NASA has launched one Artemis mission so far. Artemis 1 will send an unmanned Orion capsule into lunar orbit, returning at the end of 2022. Artemis 2, which will send four astronauts to orbit the moon, was recently delayed by about nine months to September 2025.
The United States is not alone in building a lunar exploration coalition. China is doing the same, and countries have signed on to join the agreement. International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) program aims to build a lunar base in the 2030s. So far, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa and Venezuela have signed on to cooperate with China on the ILRS.
Signatories to the Artemis Accord include a number of countries that have made significant achievements in space, including Canada, France, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.