THE ARTEMIS ACCORDS

PRINCIPLES FOR COOPERATION IN THE CIVIL EXPLORATION AND 

USE OF THE MOON, MARS, COMETS, AND ASTEROIDS

FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page Number

SECTION 1 - PURPOSE AND SCOPE....................................................................2

SECTION 2 – IMPLEMENTATION.......................................................................2

SECTION 3 – PEACEFUL PURPOSES...................................................................3

SECTION 4 – TRANSPARENCY..........................................................................3

SECTION 5 – INTEROPERABILITY.................................................................3

SECTION 6 – EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE............................................................3

SECTION 7 – REGISTRATION OF SPACE OBJECTS................................................3

SECTION 8 – RELEASE OF SCIENTIFIC DATA......................................................4

SECTION 9 – PRESERVING OUTER SPACE HERITAGE............................................4

SECTION 10 – SPACE RESOURCES ....................................................................4

SECTION 11 – DECONFLICTION OF SPACE ACTIVITIES.........................................5

SECTION 12 – ORBITAL DEBRIS ........................................................................6

SECTION 13 – FINAL PROVISIONS.....................................................................7
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The Signatories to these Accords; 

RECOGNIZING their mutual interest in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful 

purposes, and UNDERSCORING the continuing importance of existing bilateral space 

cooperation agreements;

NOTING the benefit for all humankind to be gained from cooperating in the peaceful use of 

outer space;

USHERING in a new era of exploration, more than 50 years after the historic Apollo 11 Moon 

landing and more than 20 years after the establishment of a continuous human presence aboard 

the International Space Station;

SHARING a common spirit and the ambition that the next steps of humanity’s journey in space

inspire current and future generations to explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond; 

BUILDING upon the legacy of the Apollo program, which benefited all of humankind, the 

Artemis program will land the first woman and next man on the surface of the Moon and 

establish, together with international and commercial partners, the sustainable human exploration 

of the solar system;

CONSIDERING the necessity of greater coordination and cooperation between and among 

established and emerging actors in space;

RECOGNIZING the global benefits of space exploration and commerce;

ACKNOWLEDGING a collective interest in preserving outer space heritage; 

AFFIRMING the importance of compliance with the Treaty on Principles Governing the 

Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other 

Celestial Bodies, opened for signature on January 27, 1967 (“Outer Space Treaty”) as well as 

the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects 

Launched into Outer Space, opened for signature on April 22, 1968 (“Rescue and Return 

Agreement”), the Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects,

opened for signature on March 29, 1972 (“Liability Convention”), and the Convention on 

Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space, opened for signature on January 14, 1975

(“Registration Convention”); as well as the benefits of coordination via multilateral forums, such 

as the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (“COPUOS”), to further 

efforts toward a global consensus on critical issues regarding space exploration and use; and

DESIRING to implement the provisions of the Outer Space Treaty and other relevant 

international instruments and thereby establish a political understanding regarding mutually 

beneficial practices for the future exploration and use of outer space, with a focus on activities 

conducted in support of the Artemis Program;

COMMIT to the following principles:
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SECTION 1 - PURPOSE AND SCOPE

The purpose of these Accords is to establish a common vision via a practical set of principles, 

guidelines, and best practices to enhance the governance of the civil exploration and use of outer 

space with the intention of advancing the Artemis Program. Adherence to a practical set of 

principles, guidelines, and best practices in carrying out activities in outer space is intended to 

increase the safety of operations, reduce uncertainty, and promote the sustainable and beneficial 

use of space for all humankind. The Accords represent a political commitment to the principles 

described herein, many of which provide for operational implementation of important obligations 

contained in the Outer Space Treaty and other instruments.

The principles set out in these Accords are intended to apply to civil space activities conducted 

by the civil space agencies of each Signatory. These activities may take place on the Moon, 

Mars, comets, and asteroids, including their surfaces and subsurfaces, as well as in orbit of the 

Moon or Mars, in the Lagrangian points for the Earth-Moon system, and in transit between these 

celestial bodies and locations. The Signatories intend to implement the principles set out in these 

Accords through their own activities by taking, as appropriate, measures such as mission 

planning and contractual mechanisms with entities acting on their behalf.

SECTION 2 - IMPLEMENTATION 

1. Cooperative activities regarding the exploration and use of outer space may be implemented 

through appropriate instruments, such as Memoranda of Understanding, Implementing 

Arrangements under existing Government-to-Government Agreements, Agency-to-Agency 

arrangements, or other instruments. These instruments should reference these Accords and 

include appropriate provisions for implementing the principles contained in these Accords.

(a) In the instruments described in this Section, the Signatories or their subordinate 

agencies should describe the nature, scope, and objectives of the civil cooperative 

activity;

(b) The Signatories’ bilateral instruments referred to above are expected to contain other 

provisions necessary to conduct such cooperation, including those related to liability, 

intellectual property, and the transfer of goods and technical data;

(c) All cooperative activities should be carried out in accordance with the legal 

obligations applicable to each Signatory; and

(d) Each Signatory commits to taking appropriate steps to ensure that entities acting on 

its behalf comply with the principles of these Accords.
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SECTION 3 – PEACEFUL PURPOSES

The Signatories affirm that cooperative activities under these Accords should be exclusively for 

peaceful purposes and in accordance with relevant international law.

SECTION 4 – TRANSPARENCY

The Signatories are committed to transparency in the broad dissemination of information 

regarding their national space policies and space exploration plans in accordance with their 

national rules and regulations.

The Signatories plan to share scientific information resulting from their activities pursuant to 

these Accords with the public and the international scientific community on a good-faith basis, 

and consistent with Article XI of the Outer Space Treaty.

SECTION 5 – INTEROPERABILITY

The Signatories recognize that the development of interoperable and common exploration 

infrastructure and standards, including but not limited to fuel storage and delivery systems, 

landing structures, communications systems, and power systems, will enhance space-based 

exploration, scientific discovery, and commercial utilization. The Signatories commit to use 

reasonable efforts to utilize current interoperability standards for space-based infrastructure, to 

establish such standards when current standards do not exist or are inadequate, and to follow 

such standards.

SECTION 6 – EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE

The Signatories commit to taking all reasonable efforts to render necessary assistance to 

personnel in outer space who are in distress, and acknowledge their obligations under the Rescue 

and Return Agreement.

SECTION 7 – REGISTRATION OF SPACE OBJECTS

For cooperative activities under these Accords, the Signatories commit to determine which of 

them should register any relevant space object in accordance with the Registration Convention. 

For activities involving a non-Party to the Registration Convention, the Signatories intend to 

cooperate to consult with that non-Party to determine the appropriate means of registration. 
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SECTION 8 – RELEASE OF SCIENTIFIC DATA

1. The Signatories retain the right to communicate and release information to the public 

regarding their own activities. The Signatories intend to coordinate with each other in 

advance regarding the public release of information that relates to the other Signatories’

activities under these Accords in order to provide appropriate protection for any proprietary

and/or export-controlled information.

2. The Signatories are committed to the open sharing of scientific data. The Signatories plan to 

make the scientific results obtained from cooperative activities under these Accords available

to the public and the international scientific community, as appropriate, in a timely manner.

3. The commitment to openly share scientific data is not intended to apply to private sector 

operations unless such operations are being conducted on behalf of a Signatory to the 

Accords.

SECTION 9 – PRESERVING OUTER SPACE HERITAGE

1. The Signatories intend to preserve outer space heritage, which they consider to comprise

historically significant human or robotic landing sites, artifacts, spacecraft, and other 

evidence of activity on celestial bodies in accordance with mutually developed standards and 

practices.

2. The Signatories intend to use their experience under the Accords to contribute to multilateral 

efforts to further develop international practices and rules applicable to preserving outer 

space heritage.

SECTION 10 – SPACE RESOURCES

1. The Signatories note that the utilization of space resources can benefit humankind by 

providing critical support for safe and sustainable operations. 

2. 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.

3. The Signatories commit to informing the Secretary-General of the United Nations as well as 

the public and the international scientific community of their space resource extraction 

activities in accordance with the Outer Space Treaty. 
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4. The Signatories intend to use their experience under the Accords to contribute to multilateral 

efforts to further develop international practices and rules applicable to the extraction and 

utilization of space resources, including through ongoing efforts at the COPUOS.

SECTION 11 – DECONFLICTION OF SPACE ACTIVITIES

1. The Signatories acknowledge and reaffirm their commitment to the Outer Space Treaty, 

including those provisions relating to due regard and harmful interference.

2. The Signatories affirm that the exploration and use of outer space should be conducted with 

due consideration to the United Nations Guidelines for the Long-term Sustainability of Outer 

Space Activities adopted by the COPUOS in 2019, with appropriate changes to reflect the 

nature of operations beyond low-Earth orbit.

3. Consistent with Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty, a Signatory authorizing an activity

under these Accords commits to respect the principle of due regard. A Signatory to these 

Accords with reason to believe that it may suffer, or has suffered, harmful interference, may 

request consultations with a Signatory or any other Party to the Outer Space Treaty 

authorizing the activity. 

4. The Signatories commit to seek to refrain from any intentional actions that may create 

harmful interference with each other’s use of outer space in their activities under these 

Accords.

5. The Signatories commit to provide each other with necessary information regarding the 

location and nature of space-based activities under these Accords if a Signatory has reason to 

believe that the other Signatories’ activities may result in harmful interference with or pose a 

safety hazard to its space-based activities.

6. The Signatories intend to use their experience under the Accords to contribute to multilateral 

efforts to further develop international practices, criteria, and rules applicable to the 

definition and determination of safety zones and harmful interference.

7. In order to implement their obligations under the Outer Space Treaty, the Signatories intend 

to provide notification of their activities and commit to coordinating with any relevant actor 

to avoid harmful interference. The area wherein this notification and coordination will be 

implemented to avoid harmful interference is referred to as a ‘safety zone’. A safety zone 

should be the area in which nominal operations of a relevant activity or an anomalous event 

could reasonably cause harmful interference. The Signatories intend to observe the 

following principles related to safety zones:

(a) The size and scope of the safety zone, as well as the notice and coordination, should 

reflect the nature of the operations being conducted and the environment that such 

operations are conducted in;

(b) The size and scope of the safety zone should be determined in a reasonable manner 
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leveraging commonly accepted scientific and engineering principles; 

(c) The nature and existence of safety zones is expected to change over time reflecting the 

status of the relevant operation. If the nature of an operation changes, the operating 

Signatory should alter the size and scope of the corresponding safety zone as appropriate.

Safety zones will ultimately be temporary, ending when the relevant operation ceases; 

and

(d) The Signatories should promptly notify each other as well as the Secretary-General of the 

United Nations of the establishment, alteration, or end of any safety zone, consistent with 

Article XI of the Outer Space Treaty.

8. The Signatory maintaining a safety zone commits, upon request, to provide any Signatory

with the basis for the area in accordance with the national rules and regulations applicable to 

each Signatory.

9. The Signatory establishing, maintaining, or ending a safety zone should do so in a manner 

that protects public and private personnel, equipment, and operations from harmful 

interference. The Signatories should, as appropriate, make relevant information regarding 

such safety zones, including the extent and general nature of operations taking place within 

them, available to the public as soon as practicable and feasible, while taking into account 

appropriate protections for proprietary and export-controlled information.

10. The Signatories commit to respect reasonable safety zones to avoid harmful interference with

operations under these Accords, including by providing prior notification to and coordinating 

with each other before conducting operations in a safety zone established pursuant to these 

Accords.

11. The Signatories commit to use safety zones, which will be expected to change, evolve, or end 

based on the status of the specific activity, in a manner that encourages scientific discovery

and technology demonstration, as well as the safe and efficient extraction and utilization of 

space resources in support of sustainable space exploration and other operations. The 

Signatories commit to respect the principle of free access to all areas of celestial bodies and 

all other provisions of the Outer Space Treaty in their use of safety zones. The Signatories 

further commit to adjust their usage of safety zones over time based on mutual experiences 

and consultations with each other and the international community.

SECTION 12 - ORBITAL DEBRIS 

1. The Signatories commit to plan for the mitigation of orbital debris, including the safe, timely,

and efficient passivation and disposal of spacecraft at the end of their missions, when 

appropriate, as part of their mission planning process. In the case of cooperative missions, 

such plans should explicitly include which Signatory has the primary responsibility for the 

end-of-mission planning and implementation.

2. The Signatories commit to limit, to the extent practicable, the generation of new, long-lived 

harmful debris released through normal operations, break-up in operational or post-mission 
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phases, and accidents and conjunctions, by taking appropriate measures such as the selection 

of safe flight profiles and operational configurations as well as post-mission disposal of space 

structures.

SECTION 13 – FINAL PROVISIONS

1. Building on any consultative mechanisms in preexisting arrangements as appropriate, the 

Signatories commit to periodically consult to review the implementation of the principles 

in these Accords, and to exchange views on potential areas of future cooperation.

2. The Government of the United States of America will maintain the original text of these 

Accords and transmit to the Secretary-General of the United Nations a copy of these 

Accords, which is not eligible for registration under Article 102 of the Charter of the 

United Nations, with a view to its circulation to all the members of the Organization as an 

official document of the United Nations.

3. After October 13, 2020, any State seeking to become a Signatory to these Accords may 

submit its signature to the Government of the United States for addition to this text.

Adopted on October 13, 2020, in the English language.
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SIGNED 

FOR THE UK SPACE AGENCY 

ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE

UNITED KINGDOM:

__________________________________________

Dr Graham Turnock

Chief Executive 

Place: 71st International Astronautical Congress 

Date: 13th October 2020_________________
FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:

James F. Bridenstine 

Administrator

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Date: 10/13/20________________________