What is NASA’s Artemis Agreements for lunar exploration and why Russia has not signed them

USA, Australia, Canada, Japan, Luxembourg, Italy, UK and United Arab Emirates. These are the eight countries that signed the so-called Artemis Accords for the exploration of the moon in 2020. There is no Russian presence and is not expected. But, What are the Artemis Accords? Why are they so necessary? And, finally, why is there no Russia?

Artemis program This is the one that will take a man, including the first woman, to the Moon within this decade. And the name of these agreements, which are the standards of conduct for all signatories, is associated with this NASA program. “When we think about the Artemis Accords, we are trying to set standards of behavior that all nations can accept,” Jim Bridenstine, NASA Administrator, told a press conference.

Why without Russia?

While we have the perception that Russia and the US are at odds, from a space perspective, this is not the case. Just look at all the space flights that both countries have done and the fact that they are the two countries that use the International Space Station. Despite this, they don’t always agree with the space. Both the Artemisa program and these agreements are examples of this.

Director of the Russian space program, Dmitry Rogozin, are not very happy with either the agreements signed by these eight countries and proposed by NASA, or the Artemis program itself. The first time NASA talked about these agreements, it compared them to a lunar “invasion” according to The Verge. Also, as soon as the signing of the Accords was announced this week, Artemis commented that lunar return program ‘too US-centric’.

Another power with which the United States is in conflict and has not signed the Artemis Accords is China. In fact, US law prohibits participation in space projects in this country. “If China’s behavior changed in such a way that Congress, Republicans and Democrats got together and said: Look, we want to involve ChinaNASA is ready,” Bridenstine said. “But right now you just can’t and we at NASA will always follow the law“.

Why were the Artemis Accords made if there was an Outer Space Treaty?

Actually, space exploration agreement signed not for the first time. Actually the first was Outer Space Treatywhich entered into force in 1967. And it established that space exploration should be a “peaceful exercise.” He even talks about weapons of mass destruction that can’t be placed in space and other worlds. However, it leaves many stitches untwisted. For this reason, NASA wanted to be more specific.

The Artemis Accords says that the United States wants lunar exploration to be done without going through the slow process of contracting. NASA is trying to “create a dynamic where the Outer Space Treaty is truly enforceable,” Bridenstine says. The US agency needed to be made clear what about the resources obtained from the exploration of the moon. What does the Artemis Accords say?

Who can blow up the moon? Who owns the resources extracted from it?

Through the Artemis program, NASA hopes to extract materials from the Moon. That is, to engage in mining in space, but instead of asteroids on the moon. The Outer Space Treaty prohibits countries from claiming other planetary bodies. However, as we say the idea of ​​the United States is to exploit the moon. Although this is not the only country that asks for this, since, logically, it will be necessary to use the local resources of our satellite so that we can put a lunar base.

“Article II of the Outer Space Treaty says that you cannot use the moon as national sovereignty,” explains Bridenstine. “We fully agree with this and accept it. We also believe that, just like the ocean, resources can be extracted from the ocean. doesn’t mean you own the ocean. You must be able to mine resources from the moon. Own the resources, but don’t own the moon.”

In short, the Artemisa Agreements are a set of very important rules of conduct for the Artemisa program, hence its name. But, at the same time, they are necessary to know who will mine what from the Moon. Nonetheless, Being agreements, not treaties, the signatory countries are not bound by them.. It’s more of a guide. good intentions than anything else.