Netherlands joins US-led Moon mission, becomes 31st country to sign Artemis Accords

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – The Netherlands has joined the US-led moon mission and become the 31st country to sign the Artemis Accords, the State Department announced on Tuesday.

“In a ceremony hosted by the Dutch Ambassador to the United States Birgitta Tazelaar, Netherlands Space Office (NSO) director Harm van de Wetering signed on behalf of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, Executive Secretary of the U.S. National Space Council Chirag Parikh attended the ceremony,” the statement read.

Jointly led by the Department of State and NASA, the Artemis Accords were established in 2020 with eight nations participating.

The accords establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations. Signatories support the release of public scientific data and are discussing how best to mitigate or avoid harmful interference on the lunar surface.

“NASA and the Netherlands have been strong partners in space from the early days of spaceflight. Pushing boundaries with technology brings new responsibilities. By signing the Artemis Accords, we underline the values we share in space, and we acknowledge we have a common responsibility,” the Space News quoted a statement issued by van de Wetering.