Pressing ahead together with responsible space exploration and use: Germany signs Artemis Accords for international cooperation

Federal Government Coordinator of German Aerospace Policy Dr Anna Christmann visited the United States to attend Germany’s signing of the Artemis Accords in Washington D.C. on 14 September 2023. By signing the Artemis Accords, Germany has joined a community of 29 nations which are committed to exploring the Moon and other celestial bodies in a peaceful, safe, transparent and sustainable manner.

On the occasion of the signing, Dr Anna Christmann said: "Sustainable space exploration and use is an important issue for the German Federal Government. We will also underline this aspect in the Federal Government’s new Space Strategy, which is currently being drawn up. To achieve this aim, it is essential that we further develop international space law in multilateral dialogue and lay down common principles for sustainable space flight. The Artemis Accords, which were initiated by the United States, are an important element of this dialogue, which we are happy to support."

The Artemis Accords comprise a number of recommendations on safe and transparent action regarding exchange of information, the establishment of safety zones and the extraction of resources in the context of astronaut and robot missions to the Moon and to other celestial bodies. They were initiated by the United States in October 2020 and are an important component of the Artemis programme of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The aim of the Artemis programme is to send astronauts to the Moon in the next few years, where they are to work and live for some time to prepare astronaut missions to Mars in the long term. Germany is already significantly involved in the Artemis programme as it participates in the programme of the European Space Agency (ESA). The European Service Module (ESM), a propulsion system for Orion, the U.S. spacecraft to the Moon, for example, is largely being developed and assembled in Bremen. In November 2022, the European Service Module and Orion (still unmanned) successfully flew around the Moon for the first time. In 2024/2025, astronauts are to fly around the Moon again in the context of the Artemis II mission.

Dr Walther Pelzer, Member of the DLR Executive Board and Director General of the German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), signed the Artemis Accords at the German Ambassador’s Residence in Washington D.C. on the evening of 14 September 2023. German Ambassador Andreas Michaelis, Executive Secretary of the U.S. National Space Council Chirag Parikh and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson were also present during the signing.

The German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) also published a Statement on the occasion of the German Artemis Accords Signature.