# Space – United States Department of State

- Space &#8211; Outer Space Treaty &#8211; Notification of Deposit of Instrument; Colombia, March 21, 2024 Office of Treaty Affairs
- United States Welcomes the Kingdom of Belgium’s Signing of the Artemis Accords HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases&#8230;United States Welcomes the Kingdom of Belgium’s Signing of the Artemis Accords				hide		if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}																										United States Welcomes the Kingdom of Belgium’s Signing of the Artemis Accords																																		Media Note																														January 24, 2024																																							On January 23, the Kingdom of Belgium became the 34th country to sign the Artemis Accords.&nbsp; In a ceremony at the Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels,&nbsp;Ms. Hadja Lahbib, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs, and Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions, and Mr. Thomas Dermine, State Secretary for Economic Recovery and Strategic Investments, in charge of Science Policy, Deputy to the Minister of the Economy and Employment signed the Accords on behalf of Belgium.The United States and Belgium are close partners and NATO Allies, and Belgium is a major contributor to NASA-led Artemis missions via its membership in the European Space Agency. &nbsp;In December 2023, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Michael Adler visited NASA’s Johnson Space Center along with Belgian Astronaut&nbsp;Raphaël Liégeois.&nbsp;&nbsp;The United States is pleased to see Belgium deepen our close cooperation on space issues through its affirmation of the Artemis Accords’ vision for the peaceful exploration and use of outer space.&nbsp;Jointly led by the Department of State and NASA, the Artemis Accords were established in 2020 with eight countries participating and set out a practical set of principles to guide and foster cooperation through space exploration.&nbsp; The Kingdom of Belgium joins Angola, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States in affirming the principles of the Accords for peaceful and sustainable civil space activity.For more information, please visit Artemis Accords. For media inquiries, please contact OES-Press@state.gov.						Tags																													Artemis Accords																															Belgium																								Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs																								Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs																																North Atlantic Treaty Organization																															Office of Science and Technology Cooperation																								Office of the Spokesperson																																														Science, Technology, and Innovation																																							Space
- Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a U.S. National Space Council Meeting HomeOffice of the SpokespersonPress Releases&#8230;Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a U.S. National Space Council Meeting				hide		if(window.jQuery) {		jQuery( document ).ready(function() {			if (jQuery(".bc_middle").hasClass("collapse")) {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});				jQuery(".bc_hide").click(function(){					jQuery(".bc_hide").toggleClass("visible");					jQuery(".bc_middle").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_ellipse").toggle();					jQuery(".bc_content").toggleClass("noflex");					jQuery(".block_breadcrumbs_content").toggleClass("noflex");				});			} else {				jQuery(".bc_ellipse").hide();			}		});	}																										Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a U.S. National Space Council Meeting																																		Remarks																														December 20, 2023																																							SECRETARY BLINKEN:&nbsp; Phil, thank you very, very much, and it’s wonderful to be with everyone here today, as well as in this remarkable and historic space.&nbsp; And I want to start by thanking the Vice President for not just convening us today but for her stewardship of the National Space Council.&nbsp;Our leadership, America’s leadership in space, is critical to so many priorities here at home – for our national security, to our economic and technological competitiveness, to our strength and standing around the world.&nbsp; The remarkably diverse voices on this council reflect this expansive set of priorities and interests, and again, it’s so good to be with colleagues from across the Government on this here today.It’s not exactly a secret that we’re in an era of extraordinary dynamism and activity for space exploration and research.&nbsp; More than 80 countries now operate in space.&nbsp; Dozens of space exploration companies are launching thousands of new satellites into orbit.&nbsp; The global space industry is valued at hundreds of billions of dollars.&nbsp; Space-related capabilities – like GPS technology, satellite data – are more integrated with our economy than ever before.At the same time, I think we all know that new challenges have arisen, including from our strategic competitors.&nbsp; The landscape in which we operate now is far different than it was six decades ago when President Kennedy launched the mission that put a man on the moon.&nbsp; But our responsibilities are no less important, both for our own people but also for humankind.&nbsp; Our obligation today is to shape the future of the space environment so that it benefits all.&nbsp; Those benefits are maximized for people around the world and for generations to come.From our perspective, one of the most effective ways that we can do this is by leveraging our partnerships.&nbsp; By leading with diplomacy, we are best positioned to advance discoveries that benefit us at home and that bolster our leadership around the world.&nbsp; We know from experience that collaboration on space delivers, and we’ve seen that most recently with the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope and the landing of a rover on Mars, both projects that were made possible by international partnership and international collaboration.Today what I’d like to do is just briefly update the council on three lines of effort that the State Department is leading to advance international partnerships on space priorities.&nbsp; And the Vice President has touched on a number of these, but let me just foot stomp a few of the points that she made.First, with our colleagues at NASA, we’ve grown the coalition of countries under the Artemis Accords, a set of practical principles to guide safe, peaceful, and sustainable space exploration and cooperation.&nbsp; You heard the Vice President say this – when this council first met just two years ago, we had about a dozen countries participating in the Artemis Accords.&nbsp; Today, 33 countries are on board, with 12 new signatories joining just over the past year including Angola, which joined us earlier this month.&nbsp; To the ambassadors here with us today from those Artemis countries: thank you.&nbsp; Thank you for your partnership.&nbsp; Thank you for your collaboration.We are determined to continue to expand this coalition and expand its areas of cooperation as well, like we did this past October in Baku when we agreed to take practical steps to increase mission deconfliction and ensure that future operations on the lunar surface are both transparent and safe.&nbsp;Second, we have made significant progress toward ending destructive, direct ascent anti-satellite missile tests in space.&nbsp; A single test – a single test – can release thousands of pieces of debris into space, and we know it takes only one piece of debris, traveling at thousands of miles an hour, to destroy a satellite or threaten the life of an astronaut.&nbsp; Since Vice President Harris committed in April 2022 that the United States would refrain from conducting anti-satellite missile tests, 36 countries, as you’ve heard, have pledged to do the same.&nbsp; Next year we’ll continue our diplomatic efforts to establish this as an international norm.Third, we’re laying the groundwork for future international collaboration.&nbsp; A few months ago, in May, the State Department released our first-ever Strategic Framework for Space Diplomacy.&nbsp; We’re leading with diplomacy, advancing space policy to leverage space activities to meet a wider range of diplomatic goals; for example, making progress on the climate crisis, contending with pollution, dealing with illegal, under-reported, and unregulated fishing.&nbsp; As part of those efforts, we’re continuing capacity-building outreach to emerging spacefaring nations.&nbsp; And here, these partnerships, the transfer of knowledge, the transfer of expertise, is in many ways one of our most powerful exports.We’re also modernizing our diplomatic workforce to ensure that they have the skills that they need to advance U.S. interests and maintain American leadership in space.&nbsp; Early next year we’ll add an expert focused on space to our Science&nbsp;Envoy Program at the State Department.One of the most remarkable powers of space exploration is its ability to bring people together across geographies in pursuit of knowledge of the wider universe and in pursuit of progress right here on Earth.&nbsp; So for the State Department, I can tell you we look forward to continued close collaboration with this council, with our partners abroad, as we strive together to reach new frontiers.Thank you very much for being here today.&nbsp; Phil.&nbsp; (Applause.)						Tags																					Office of Space Affairs																								Office of the Spokesperson																																														Science, Technology, and Innovation																															The Secretary of State																																Space
- Space &#8211; Outer Space Treaty &#8211; Notification of Deposit of Instrument; Panama, August 9, 2023 Office of Treaty Affairs
- Kingdom of Spain Signs the Artemis Accords Office of the SpokespersonIn a ceremony held at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, the Honorable Julissa Reynoso, U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Andorra joined NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Associate Administrator for International and Interagency Relations Karen Feldstein to witness the Artemis Accords signing ceremony for the Kingdom of Spain.  Spanish Minister of Science and Innovation Diana Morant signed the Accords, alongside President Pedro Sánchez and Director General of the Agencia Espacial Española Miguel Bello.  The signing follows discussions of the Accords between President Biden and President Sánchez during a recent meeting at the White House.The Artemis Accords are a set of non-legally binding principles for the responsible and sustainable exploration of outer space,  grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. Launched in 2020 with eight signatories, the Accords now boast 25 signatory nations: Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, France, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.Signatories demonstrate their commitment to responsible and sustainable behavior in space, collaborate in working groups on addressing issues of mutual concern, and actively contribute to multilateral conversations at the U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) and other fora.  Accords principles include, among others, transparency, use of space for peaceful purposes, mitigation of space debris, disposal of spacecraft, deconfliction of lunar activities and registration of space objects. Following these principles makes operating in outer space safer and more predictable, not only for signatories, but for all space actors.For the United States, the Artemis Accords are co-led by the Department of State and NASA. Earlier today, the Department of State announced the release of its new Strategic Framework for Space Diplomacy which grounds the Department’s diplomatic efforts on the Artemis Accords in U.S. strategic space objectives and values.For further information, visit Artemis Accords. For media inquiries, please contact OES-PA-DG@state.gov.
- Space &#8211; Outer Space Treaty &#8211; Notification of Deposit of Instrument; Croatia, March 10, 2023 Office of Treaty Affairs
- Artemis I Advances International Cooperation, Inspires Next Generation Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of StateWith the successful launch of Artemis I, NASA has embarked on its latest mission to explore the unknown for the benefit of humanity. This uncrewed flight test is the first in a series of complex missions that will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, while uniting humanity and inspiring the next generation through deep space exploration.Today&#8217;s successful launch is the result of multilateral cooperative efforts to explore space, achieve a sustainable and robust presence on the Moon later this decade, and prepare to conduct a historic human mission to Mars. Through the Artemis program, the United States is building the broadest and most diverse international human space exploration coalition in history, focused on making scientific and technological discoveries to advance the global alliance’s deep space efforts and return many benefits to our home planet while also creating jobs. We look forward to continued work with international partners on future missions. With the Artemis Accords, the Department of State and NASA are bringing nations together through a common set of principles grounded in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty to guide civil space exploration, and set the stage for peaceful, responsible, and productive cooperation in outer space.The United States will continue to work with international partners to ensure a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space for all of humanity to enjoy.
- Space &#8211; Rescue and Return of Astronauts &#8211; Notification of Deposit of Instrument; Saudi Arabia, Nov. 23, 2021 Office of Treaty Affairs