Netherlands signs NASA agreements: “It’s ethics in space”

The Netherlands signed the Artemis Accords. These NASA agreements should ensure good cooperation in space. “By signing, the Netherlands is joining certain forms of behavior in space,” says Joost Karpay, deputy director of the Dutch space agency NSO.

The signing took place in Washington. “The strings cover the entire space, but they focus mainly on the month and the march. These are basically the terms of interaction in the space,” Karpay says.

It is also not allowed to claim land on the moon. “A lot of people think that part of the moon belongs to America because their flag is there. This is not the case, and this is no longer possible because of these new agreements,” Carpay notes. It is possible to extract raw materials from the moon, provided that this is done according to agreed upon rules.

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Not participating

China and Russia have not yet signed the Artemis Accords. He added: “Russia’s signature will take some time in light of international tensions.” But it’s being talked about. “These agreements are in everyone’s interest and that is why we expect the Chinese to also sign in the future,” Karpay said.

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According to Carpay, the Netherlands is “a very important country” in the space field. “We in the Netherlands believe it is particularly important that activities in space are placed within a legal framework. We are committed to that and these Artemis Accords are part of that.