WASHINGTON — Denmark is the latest country to adopt the Artemis Accords, the 48th country to sign the document that outlines best practices for sustainable space exploration.

NASA announced on November 13 that Christina Egelund, the Danish Minister of Higher Education and Science, signed the Agreements at a ceremony in Copenhagen. Alan Leventhal, the US ambassador to Denmark, represented the country at the event, and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson provided video remarks.

“The signing of the agreements is in line with the Danish government’s future strategy for space research and innovation,” Egelund said in a statement. “As part of the strategy, Denmark is trying to strengthen ties with our allies like the United States.”

Denmark brings the total number of countries that have signed the Accords to 48, including five since early October.

The number of countries “has grown very quickly this year,” said Karen Feldstein, NASA’s associate administrator for international and interagency relations, in a Nov. 12 speech at the Beyond Earth Symposium. Fifteen countries have signed this year.

“Although the actual number is not true, more and more signatories now represent every continent on Earth and are dealing with the most pressing issues of their implementation,” she said.

She noted that there is “a bit of a narrative” comparing the Artemis Accords to the China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) effort. Senegal signed a memorandum of understanding to join the ILRS in Septemberbecoming the 13th nation to do so.

Participation in the ILRS includes acceptance of a set of principles which, although not released, are considered to be similar to those in the Artemis Agreements. “From my perspective, China talking about the principles of responsible behavior in space is a good thing,” Feldstein said. “An apparent emulation of the Accords, even if only rhetorical, is a strong public acknowledgment of NASA’s assertion that how we go is as important as what we do, and that the global community now insists that exploration be conducted safely and durable. .”

She noted that the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs held a forum in June to discuss sustainable lunar activities that featured the United States, China, Russia and other nations. “Hearing China’s words that day,” she recalled, “you could reasonably come away thinking that there are no differences between the US approach and the Chinese approach and how our respective partners would view responsible space exploration on the Moon and Mars.”

One difference, however, is that China has not yet published the ILRS principles. “I look forward to the world knowing more about the ILRS and the principles upheld in it in the spirit of transparency, which is a core principle of the Agreements,” she noted, “so that nations can assess this for themselves.”

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