WASHINGTON — Spain is the newest European nation to sign the Artemis Accords, a central element of a brand new American strategic framework for space diplomacy.
In a May 30 ceremony in Madrid, Spanish government officials signed the Accords, which outline principles for secure and responsible space exploration. Spain is the 25th country to sign the Accords and the second this month, after the Czech Republic May 3.
“As the most recent member of the Artemis Accords family, Spain will safeguard our shared ideals by helping be certain that humanity’s rapid expansion into space is completed peacefully, safely and transparently,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, who attended the ceremony, said in a press release. Unlike the Czech Republic signing, which took place at NASA Headquarters with per week’s advance notice, NASA didn’t announce the planned signing or Nelson’s trip prematurely.
“Space is an example of international collaboration and a priority for our country’s vision,” Spanish President Pedro Sánchez said within the statement. “We’re witnessing a commitment by the Government of Spain to a key sector that generates opportunities and high-quality employment, which is a priority and strategic area, essential to assist and protect our society.”
Spain has for years been a serious contributor to the European Space Agency, but recently has worked to bolster its space presence. The federal government announced it could establish a national space agency, the Agencia Espacial Española, in 2021, and the agency became operational earlier this 12 months. It is usually working to support a growing space industry, reminiscent of PLD Space, a launch vehicle startup planning a suborbital launch of a prototype rocket as soon as May 31.
Spain is the eighth ESA member state, and seventh member of the European Union, to sign the Accords. Most major ESA members at the moment are signatories to the Accords, with the notable exception of Germany.
“The Artemis Accords reaching 25 signatories in such a brief period of time demonstrates the robust global support for norms of behavior in space,” Mike Gold, a former NASA official who spearheaded the event of the Accords in 2020 and is now chief growth officer at Redwire, told SpaceNews. He added he hopes the signing will encourage Germany specifically to sign on.
“This latest signing ceremony, occurring so quickly after the Czech Republic signed, demonstrates the momentum that Administrator Nelson and his team have generated in Europe for the Accords,” he said, “and I hope that Germany and plenty of other countries can even commit to implementing the Outer Space Treaty and other international agreements by signing the Accords within the not-too-distant future.”
Space diplomacy framework
The signing ceremony took place the identical day because the U.S. State Department released a document called the Strategic Framework for Space Policy, a brand new white paper that outlined the roles that space can play in diplomacy and vice versa.
“As near Earth space gets more crowded, the Framework will help maintain the rules-based international order and foster cooperation for long-term sustainability, commercialization, exploration and space utilization,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a press release.
The document relies on existing national space policy, including essentially the most recent update in 2020 in addition to the Biden administration’s space policy framework document published in 2021. It cites challenges posed by competitors, namely China and Russia, but additionally opportunities for international partnership.
“U.S. leadership in space exploration and utilization is among the many U.S. government’s most beneficial soft power tools and presents strategic opportunities to advertise academic and research partnerships, scientific engagement, in addition to for public diplomacy to extend awareness amongst and influence audiences outside the USA on U.S. space diplomacy,” the document states.
One pillar of the framework is “diplomacy for space,” or using international cooperation to advance space policy goals reminiscent of a “rules-based international order” for space activities. That specifically includes the Artemis Accords, which the framework describes as a “convening function” for discussions on global space goverance.
“The Artemis Accords are a centerpiece of the USA’ civil space diplomacy,” the document states. “By signing the Artemis Accords, States commit to carrying out activities within the civil exploration and use of outer space in a way that’s each responsible and sustainable.”
Other elements of that pillar include space security through advancing norms and rules of behavior, in addition to helping support the expansion of the space industry by promoting U.S. space regulatory practices.
A second pillar seeks to advance “space for diplomacy,” using space cooperation to advance American foreign and national security policy goals. Examples of that mentioned within the document are sharing Earth remark data for applications like disaster response and climate change, and using space-based images “to construct U.S. credibility and counter false narratives and disinformation.”
A 3rd pillar seeks to supply State Department personnel with the tools and knowledge needed to support space diplomacy. One example of that work mentioned within the document is to create “public diplomacy toolkits to assist translate U.S. leadership in outer space exploration and establish a greater appreciation of the U.S. commitment to transparency, open science, and innovation.”