NASA Says Russia and China Could Join Artemis Accords if They Align With Its Principles

Russia and China could potentially join the US-led Artemis Accords in the future if they align their space exploration policies with the agreement’s principles, NASA said on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters at the International Astronautical Congress in Antalya, Turkey, NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson said there was a possibility for both countries to join the accords if they eventually adopted positions consistent with its principles. However, he said neither Russia nor China currently appears to be aligned with those principles.

Anderson said the 76 countries that have signed the Artemis Accords are united around a set of principles aimed at ensuring safe, transparent and responsible activities in outer space.

Russia and China, meanwhile, are jointly pursuing plans to establish an International Lunar Research Station and develop a research base on the Moon. Some countries are participating in both the Artemis Accords and the China-Russia-led lunar initiative.

Asked whether the overlap raised concerns, Anderson said sovereign countries were free to pursue their own interests. Signing the Artemis Accords, he added, does not prevent countries from advancing their own national objectives.

Anderson also co-chaired a closed-door meeting of Artemis Accords members on Tuesday with Major General Roberto Melgar Shin, director of Peru’s space agency CONIDA. More than 40 countries took part in the meeting, he said.

Space debris was among the issues discussed, including debris accumulating on the lunar surface. Melgar Shin said participating countries reached an understanding on the issue.

Anderson said the first step in addressing the growing problem of space debris is to prevent the creation of additional debris.

On concerns about the use of weapons in space, Anderson said the Artemis Accords primarily cover civilian space activities, while military matters fall under the jurisdiction of the national security authorities of individual countries.

However, he stressed that no country wants armed conflict to take place in outer space. The central objective of the Artemis Accords, he said, is to promote peaceful exploration of space.