Muscat: The US Department of State has congratulated the Sultanate of Oman on joining the Artemis Accords, the 61st country to sign the Accords to date, pledging its commitment to peaceful space exploration and use.
The signing took place on the margins of the Middle East Space Conference and the U.S.-Oman Strategic Dialogue in Muscat.
The signing of the Artemis Accords reflects the deepening US-Oman partnership in space, science, and emerging technologies and demonstrates Oman’s commitment to responsible space exploration, the State Department said.
The United States and seven other countries established the Artemis Accords in 2020 to serve as a set of practical principles to guide responsible space exploration.
The Sultante of Oman joined the United States and 59 other nations in affirming the Accords’ principles for sustainable civil space activity. The Department of State and NASA lead the United States’ outreach and implementation of the Accords.
“Oman’s accession to the Artemis Accords sets an important example about the value of responsible behavior and shared pursuit of discovery,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman in recorded remarks during the ceremony.
“Oman joins the U.S. and our other partners, ensuring the peaceful exploration of space for generations to come. We are returning humans to the Moon and laying the groundwork for future missions. A community of like-minded nations will be the foundation of our success.”
Grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 (OST), the Artemis Accords are a non-binding set of principles designed to guide civil space exploration and use in the 21st century. Co-led for the United States by the Department of State and NASA, the Artemis Accords were launched on October 13, 2020, with Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Consistent with the Outer Space Treaty, the Artemis Accords affirm that cooperative activities should be exclusively for peaceful purposes and in accordance with international law.
The provision of emergency assistance is vital. Artemis Accords signatories commit to taking all reasonable efforts to render necessary assistance to personnel in outer space who are in distress and acknowledge their obligations under the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts, and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space.
Appropriate registration of space objects can help to mitigate the risk of harmful interference. The Artemis Accords reinforce the importance of meeting our obligations under the Registration Convention.
Sharing scientific data with the global community in a timely and transparent manner can help ensure the entire world can benefit from space exploration.
Accords signatories intend to preserve historically significant human or robotics landing sites, artifacts, spacecraft, and other evidence of activity on celestial bodies, and contribute to multilateral efforts to further development.
Artemis Accords signatories help implement these obligations by providing notification of their activities, including regarding the location and general nature of their operations, and coordinating with any relevant actor to avoid harmful interference. The area covered by the notification and coordination is referred to as a “safety zone.”
Planning to mitigate for orbital debris, as well as disposing safely of spacecrafts, is critical to maintaining a safe environment in space and operating in space sustainably.
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