NASA Welcomes Belgium as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory

JAN 24, 2024

RELEASE 24-016

From left to right: Tim Richardson, chargé d’affaires, U.S. Embassy Belgium, Raphaël Liégeois, Belgian astronaut, Thomas Dermine, Belgian secretary of state for science policy, Hadja Lahbib, Belgian minister of foreign affairs, and Frank De Winne, Belgian astronaut, during the Artemis Accords signing ceremony in Brussels.

Credits: Nathan De Fortunato

During a ceremony at the Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels on Tuesday, Belgium became the 34th country to sign the Artemis Accords. The accords establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations, including those participating in NASA’s Artemis campaign.

“Congratulations to Belgium on becoming the newest member of the Artemis Accords family,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “It’s clear that countries around the world understand the opportunity that space presents. As the 34th signatory of the Artemis Accords, Belgium is showing great leadership in committing to responsible exploration in the 21st century.”

Hadja Lahbib, minister of foreign affairs, European affairs and foreign trade, and the federal cultural institutions, and Thomas Dermine, state secretary for economic recovery and strategic investments, in charge of science policy, signed on behalf of Belgium.

“Joining the Artemis Accords reflects our logic of cooperation and enables Belgium to join the working group of states that have already signed,” said Dermine.

“Belgium always has its feet on the ground and its head in the stars,” said Lahbib. “Our country is one of the world leaders in space exploration. The signing of the Artemis Accords shows our ongoing commitment to sustainable and responsible space, and will strengthen ties with international partners. It will also open new economic opportunities for our companies, which have world-renowned expertise in the space sector.”

NASA, in coordination with the U.S. Department of State, established the Artemis Accords in 2020 together with seven other original signatories. Since then, the Accords signatories have held focused discussions on how best to implement the Artemis Accords principles.

The Artemis Accords reinforce and implement key obligations in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. They also strengthen the commitment by the United States and signatory nations to the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices and norms of responsible behavior NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data.

More countries are expected to sign the accords in the months and years ahead, which is important to advancing safe, peaceful, and prosperous activities in space. Learn more about the Artemis Accords at:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords

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