France Signs Artemis Accords on Moon Exploration, US State Department Says

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - France has signed the US-drafted Artemis Accords and joined the international Moon exploration program, the United States Department of State said in a statement.

"Affirming its commitment to the peaceful, responsible, and sustainable exploration and use of outer space, France became the 20th nation to sign the Artemis Accords at a ceremony hosted today by French Ambassador Philippe Étienne in Washington, DC. The Accords were signed by Philippe Baptiste, President of CNES, the French National Center for Space Studies," the State Department said.

It said Baptiste was joined for the event by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, National Space Council Executive Secretary Chirag Parikh, and Director of the Office of Space Affairs Valda Vikmanis-Keller from the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.

"Grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, the Artemis Accords are a multilateral, nonbinding declaration of principles and rules to enhance governance of the responsible exploration of outer space. Artemis Accords’ principles include the registration of space objects, deconfliction of activities, release of scientific data, and provision of emergency assistance," the State Department said.

The NASA Artemis rocket with the Orion spacecraft aboard stands on pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Friday, March 18, 2022. NASA is kicking off a critical countdown test for its new moon rocket. The two-day dress rehearsal began Friday, April 1, 2022 at Florida's Kennedy Space Center and will culminate Sunday with the loading of the rocket's fuel tanks.

© AP Photo / John Raoux

"These principles help increase the safety of operations, reduce uncertainty, and promote the sustainable and beneficial use of space for all humankind," it said.