The Rise of the Artemis Accords, The Decline of the Moon Treaty
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The Rise of the Artemis Accords, The Decline of the Moon Treaty
Artemis Accords (2020)
Multilateral agreements
Led by the US
33 signatories
Angola is the latest signatory, joining on Nov. 30
The signatories of the Artemis Accords include:
Angola
Argentina
Australia
Bahrain
Brazil
Bulgaria
Canada
Colombia
Czech Republic
Ecuador
France
Germany
Iceland
India
Israel
Italy
Japan
Luxembourg
Mexico
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Poland
South Korea
Romania
Rwanda
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Spain
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Isle of Man
Moon Agreement (1979)
Formally known as Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies
18 states are parties to the treaty
The parties (acceded and ratified or just acceded) to the Moon Agreement include:
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Chile
Kazakhstan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Mexico
Morocco
Netherlands
Pakistan
Peru
Philippines
Saudi Arabia
Turkey
Uruguay
Venezuela
Space Resources
The Artemis Accords and the Moon Agreement are seen as a contradiction in the area of space resources.
The Moon Agreement states:
"As reflected in the provisions of this Agreement the Moon and its natural resources are the common heritage of mankind. The Moon is not subject to national appropriation by any claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means. Neither the surface nor the subsurface of the Moon, nor any part thereof or its natural resources, can become the property of any State, international intergovernmental or non-governmental organization, national organization or non-governmental entity, or of any natural person."
The Artemis Accords states:
“The Signatories emphasize that the extraction and utilization of space resources, including any recovery from the surface or subsurface of the Moon, Mars, comets, or asteroids, should be executed in a manner that complies with the Outer Space Treaty and in support of safe and sustainable space activities. The Signatories affirm that the extraction of space resources does not inherently constitute national appropriation under Article II of the Outer Space Treaty, and that contracts and other legal instruments relating to space resources should be consistent with that Treaty.”
Australia, Mexico, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia are parties to the Moon Agreement and the signatories of the Artemis Accords.
Saudi Arabia gave notice on January 5, 2023 to withdraw from the Moon Agreement on January 5, 2024.
Saudi Arabia has not given a reason for its withdraw.
Astralytical Analysis
The Moon Treaty will continue to lose its relevancy
The Artemis Accords will continue to gain momentum
The Artemis Accords will be seen as the modern space cooperative agreement after the Outer Space Treaty (1967)
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