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ESA: Gateway MoU and Artemis Accords – FAQs
Status report from: European Space Agency
Published: Tuesday, December 15, 2020
ESA Director General Jan Wörner and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bring Europa to the Moon.
The landmark agreement will see ESA member states contribute a number of essential elements to the first human outpost in lunar orbit, known as the Gateway.
It confirms ESA’s commitment to deliver at least two European service modules that provide electricity, water, oxygen and nitrogen to NASA’s Orion spacecraft, with more to come. ESA will also receive three flight opportunities for European astronauts to travel and work at the Gateway.
What does the Memorandum of Understanding with NASA on Civil Lunar Portal Cooperation mean?
The Memorandum of Understanding, or MOU, which was signed by ESA’s Director General in October 2020, creates a legally binding framework for ESA and NASA to work together to establish the Moon Portal. It covers the legal commitments and responsibilities of the different partners for the purposes of Gateway cooperation.
The International Space Station was built after ESA signed similar types of memoranda in 1988 and 1998.
What is the Moon Portal?
The Lunar Portal is a human outpost around the Moon for space exploration and science that will allow a regular human presence on the Moon. It will be part of NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration program.
Who is involved?
The Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by ESA and NASA.
What is the scope of this Memorandum of Understanding?
The scope of the MoU includes the operational and development activities necessary to build and launch the Lunar Gateway and the European crew.
One of ESA’s contributions to achieving the Lunar Gateway is the European Service Module, which will provide power, propulsion, oxygen and water to the new Orion spacecraft to be used for the Artemis missions to the Moon. ESA will receive three flight opportunities for European astronauts to travel to and work on the Gateway.
What is not within the scope of the Memorandum of Understanding?
Operations beyond the Moongate, such as those that take place on the surface of the Moon, are not covered by the Memorandum of Understanding. The way in which these activities will be carried out will be guided by future international agreements between space agencies.
What are the Artemis Agreements?
The Artemis Accords are a set of statements, initiated by NASA, to establish common principles, guidelines, and best practices applicable to the entire lunar exploration program. These agreements are signed at the national rather than organizational level and on a voluntary basis.
As of December 2020, nine countries have signed the Artemis Accords: Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.
The Artemis Accords contain, reaffirm and develop various principles of space law, in accordance with the norms, principles and practices derived from the Outer Space Treaty of 1967.
The principles established in these Agreements are intended to apply to civil space activities carried out by the civil space agencies of each signatory.
Each signatory undertakes to take appropriate measures to ensure that entities (including private operators) acting on its behalf comply with the principles of these Agreements.
What kinds of principles do the Artemis Accords cover?
The principles of the Artemis Accords are:
Peaceful exploration: All activities carried out under the Artemis program must be for peaceful purposes. Transparency: The signatories of the Artemis Agreements will carry out their activities in a transparent way to avoid confusion and conflicts.
Interoperability – Nations participating in the Artemis program will strive to support interoperable systems to enhance security and sustainability.
Emergency Assistance: Signatories to the Artemis Accords agree to provide assistance to personnel in distress.
Space Object Registration: Any nation participating in Artemis must be a signatory to the Registration Convention or be ready and willing to be a signatory.
Disclosure of scientific data: The signatories of the Artemis Agreements commit to disclose scientific information to the public.
Preserving Heritage: Signatories to the Artemis Accords commit to preserving heritage in outer space, such as historically significant human or robotic landing sites.
Space Resources: Extracting and using space resources is key to safe and sustainable exploration and the signatories to the Artemis Accords affirm that such activities must be carried out in accordance with the Outer Space Treaty.
Conflict of activities: the signatories of the Artemis Agreements undertake to prevent harmful interference and to follow the principles of cooperation, assistance and due consideration, as required by the Outer Space Treaty.
Orbital Debris: Sagebrush Agreement countries commit to planning for safe waste disposal and limiting the generation of new and long-lasting harmful wastes that are released through normal operations.
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