With the recent addition of Norway, 55 nations have now signed the Artemis Accords.
And what do the Artemis Accords ask of nations? Here is the purpose of the agreement, which started back in 2020:
The purpose of these Accords is to establish a common vision via a practical set of principles, guidelines, and best practices to enhance the governance of the civil exploration and use of outer space with the intention of advancing the Artemis Program. Adherence to a practical set of principles, guidelines, and best practices in carrying out activities in outer space is intended to increase the safety of operations, reduce uncertainty, and promote the sustainable and beneficial use of space for all humankind. The Accords represent a political commitment to the principles described herein, many of which provide for operational implementation of important obligations contained in the Outer Space Treaty and other instruments.
This includes the sharing of scientific findings and related material, such as China’s recent sharing of lunar samples. Specifically, Section 8, Item 2 of the Accords states:
The Signatories are committed to the open sharing of scientific data. The Signatories plan to make the scientific results obtained from cooperative activities under these Accords available to the public and the international scientific community, as appropriate, in a timely manner.
While the validity of international trade treaties have come into question under this US president, let’s hope the scientific promises are honored. Heck, even Russia knows how to behave with the scientific community on the International Space Station and elsewhere.
Our Awesome Universe 