Israel signed the Artemis Accords, a NASA-run space program to establish a long-term human presence on the moon and prepare for more complex future missions to Mars.
It is the first country to do so in 2022, the US space agency announced last week.
The Artemis Accords are an international agreement between nations participating in the Artemis Program, a US-led effort to return humans to the moon by 2025, with the ultimate goal of expanding space exploration.
The agreement sets out principles for cooperation in space exploration and civilian use of the moon, Mars, comets, and asteroids for peaceful purposes, the Israel Space Agency said on Wednesday. The agreement affirmed Israel’s commitment to a common set of principles to guide cooperation among nations participating in 21st century exploration, NASA added.
The Accords were first signed in October 2020 by representatives of the national space agencies of eight countries. These founding members include Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Since then, six more countries have signed including Ukraine, South Korea, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland, and Mexico. Israel is the 15th country to sign on to join the space program.
Artemis 1, the first unmanned test flight of NASA’s SLS rocket, is scheduled for March this year. Artemis 2 is scheduled for 2023, Artemis 3 for 2024, while a landing on the moon is expected in 2025.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX wil design and build the spacecraft that will carry the first astronauts to the moon under the Artemis program. It’s the first time humans will return to the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
Signing the deal
Israel Space Agency (ISA) Director-General Uri Oron signed the agreement to join the accords during a ceremony on Wednesday, January 26 in Tel Aviv. Ambassador of Israel to the United States Michael Herzog, Deputy Chief of Mission for the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem Jonathan Shrier, Israeli Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology Orit Farkash Hacohen, and Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Monica P. Medina participated in the event remotely, along with Nelson and NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy.
“Today, space once again unveils its enormous potential and endless opportunities for Israel and for the entire world in the fields of innovation, technology, and diplomacy,” said Oron. “I am convinced that the Artemis program will promote humanity a step further, not only in space but also here on Earth. The Israel Space Agency will continue to promote collaborations in research, science, innovation, and economy within the framework of the Artemis Accords between Israeli organizations and our international partners.”
The ceremony took place one day after The 17th Ilan Ramon International Space Conference on Tuesday, January 25th in Tel Aviv.
“This signing ceremony, taking place following the Ilan Ramon International Space Conference, also celebrates the life and continued legacy of the first Israeli astronaut in space,” said Medina. “I am truly proud of our decades-long history of collaboration in space. Today – together with our fellow Artemis Accords signatories – we reaffirm our shared commitment to the exploration and research of space for the betterment of mankind and for peaceful use.”
“I congratulate the director of the Israel Space Agency on signing the Artemis Accords as Israel joins the most ambitious, complex, and expansive space program in the world,” added Farkash Hacohen. “The signing of the Accords is another building block in our relationship with the United States, our greatest friend in the world.”
“Israel already has demonstrated its commitment to Artemis with the contribution of the AstroRad radiation protection vest on Artemis I, scheduled to launch this spring,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Today’s signing of the Artemis Accords will only serve to strengthen the long-standing U.S.-Israeli relationship in the area of space exploration and I look forward to many more years of working together to achieve our common goals for the benefit all of humanity.”
The Israeli-developed AstroRad radiation protection vest will also be on the Rakia (Sky in Hebrew) mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS.) The Rakia program is part of the world’s first private mission to the ISS, Axiom Space Ax-1. Israel’s second-ever astronaut Eytan Stibbe is expected to travel to the ISS onboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule in late March, where he will conduct 35 experiments approved for the mission, including the antiradiation vest.
The mission
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said the Artemis “will be the broadest and most diverse international human space exploration in history” and a “vehicle that will establish this singular global coalition.” It will also include the first woman and next man to land on the lunar surface.
The Artemis Accords reinforce and implement the 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, otherwise known as the Outer Space Treaty. They also reinforce the commitment by the US and partner nations to the Registration Convention, the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, and other norms of behavior that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data.
The Artemis Accords reinforce and implement the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which is the treaty that forms the basis o international space law. In 2020, NASA unveiled the 10 principles that govern the civil exploration of space, which include peaceful exploration, transparency, releasing scientific data, and providing emergency assistance to all countries who are part of the accords.
“We are moving toward a global and innovative future where countries mobilize resources for science and research and work together to advance space diplomacy. To sign the accords will strengthen cooperation with other signatories in the field of trade and economy, ” Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid tweeted when he first announced in mid-January that Israel will sign the accords.
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