On Monday, April 15, at NASA Headquarters in Washington, Switzerland became the 37th nation to sign the Artemis Accords, reaffirming its commitment to the beneficial and sustainable use of space for all people.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson stated, “Today, we marked a giant leap forward in the partnership between the United States and Switzerland.” “We are even more committed to calmly and openly exploring the unknown as we welcome you into the Artemis Accords family. Research enhances goodwill on Earth, and we are eager to extend the ideals and values that unify our two nations into space.”
Around 11:30 am, Parmelin, Swiss Federal Councillor and Minister for Economic Affairs, Education & Research, officially signed the Accords on behalf of Switzerland. Also present during the ceremony were:
- Valda Vikmanis-Keller, serving as acting deputy assistant secretary at the Department of State
- Martina Hirayama, state secretary and Head of the State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation
- Jacques Pitteloud, Swiss Ambassador to the U.S.
- Marco Sieber, a Swiss national and ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut
- Renato Krpoun, serving as the Head of the Swiss Space Office
- Professor Peter Wurz, Director of Space and Planetary Sciences at the University of Bern
According to Parmelin, “Switzerland and NASA have a long-standing partnership on human space exploration as well as space and Earth sciences. By signing the Artemis Accords, we reaffirm our commitment to working together to explore the heavens above us.”
The 1968 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, also known as the Outer Space Treaty, is strengthened by the 2020 Artemis Accords, which were formed by NASA and the US Department of State. Additionally, they stress the United States’ adherence to the Registration Convention, the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, and other norms that are supported by NASA and its allies.
