Slovenia to sign Artemis Accords on norms in outer space
Ljubljana, 11 April - Slovenia will sign the Artemis Accords, an international agreement on the civil exploration and peaceful use of the Moon, Mars, and other planets, said the Government Communication Office on Thursday. This will bring new opportunities for Slovenian industry and research, the government said.
The Artemis Accords include a series of recommendations for safe and transparent information sharing, establishment of safety zones and resource extraction as part of missions of astronauts and robots to the Moon and other celestial objects, the office said.
The provisions of the agreement are to be used in civil space activities by civil space agencies of signatories, whether the activities take place on the Moon, Mars, other celestial objects, in their orbits or in transit between them.
The agreement was created in 2020 at the initiative of the US and remains open for signing indefinitely. So far 36 countries and one territory have signed the accords, including several EU member states. The agreement has no financial implications.
It is an important part of the Artemis programme of NASA, which includes cooperation with the European, Japanese and Canadian space agencies and other partners. The aim of the programme is to land astronauts on the Moon in the coming years and enable them to stay and live there for a longer period of time.
"The Artemis programme offers many new opportunities for the industry and scientific research in Slovenia," said the Economy Ministry, adding that cooperation of all ministries and the support of Slovenia's Embassy in Washington are key.
The government took note of the intention to sign the accords at Thursday's session. Economy Ministry State Secretary Matevž Frangež will sign the agreement on behalf of Slovenia.