Signatories of the agreement will be able to participate in the NASA-led Artemis space program. NASA has long-term goals, such as returning to the moon, establishing a lunar base, and traveling to Mars.
Fundamentally, that means working with the United States’ primary space sphere, as opposed to, for example, the rival Chinese and Russian space spheres.
“Belgium has always kept its feet on the ground and its head towards the stars,” Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade Haja Rabib said.
“Our country is one of the world’s leading nations in space exploration. The signing of the Artemis Accord reflects our continued commitment to sustainable and responsible space and strengthens our relationships with international partners. It also opens up new economic opportunities for our company, which has world-renowned expertise in the space sector.”
The Secretary of State for Space Policy of Belgium, which is also a member of the European Space Agency, emphasized that the agreement increases the possibility of Belgian astronauts working on NASA missions.
“Signing the Artemis Accord is part of our cooperative approach and will enable Belgium to join the working group of countries that are signatories to the agreement as well,” said Thomas Delmine.
“The signing of these agreements is also a necessary and important condition for the possibility of Belgian astronauts participating in missions under the Artemis program, which aims to return to the moon in multiple missions from 2027.”
artemis accord
A total of 34 countries, including the United States, have now agreed to the Artemis Accords. Angola is the most recent member, joining in December 2023.
NASA says the agreement will enable it to fulfill key obligations of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. It also aims to strengthen best practices and norms for responsible behavior in space. These include areas such as public access to scientific data, emergency assistance, space object registration, and orbital debris handling.
You can read more about the agreement on NASA’s website.
The original signatories to the Artemis Accord in October 2020 were Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Image: NASA – Artist rendering of an astronaut working on the moon
See also: NASA and UAE collaborate on Artemis Gateway Crew and Science Airlock