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On Monday, April 15, 2024, Switzerland became the 37th country to sign the Artemis Accords at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC, an agreement that promotes best practices in lunar exploration. At 11:45am, Guy Parmelin , Swiss Federal Councillor and Minister for Economic Affairs, Education and Research, signed the Accords on behalf of Switzerland, confirming the nation’s commitment to the sustainable and beneficial use of space for all humankind.
“Switzerland has a long-standing partnership with NASA on human space exploration as well as space and Earth sciences,” said Parmelin . “With the signature of the Artemis Accords, we renew our commitment to jointly explore the heavens above us.” Dr. Martina Hirayama, Swiss State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation was also in attendance and joined Federal Councillor Parmelin with special remarks prior to the signing.
Other Swiss participants in the ceremony included:
• Jacques Pitteloud , Swiss Ambassador to the United States
• Marco Sieber , Swiss astronaut in training at ESA (European Space Agency)
• Renato Krpoun , Head of the Swiss Space Office
• Professor Peter Wurz , Director Space and Planetary Sciences, University of Bern
Bill Nelson hosted Switzerland during the ceremony. “Today, we marked a giant leap forward in the partnership between the United States and Switzerland,” he said. “As we welcome you into the Artemis Accords family, we expand our commitment to explore the unknown openly and peacefully. Discovery strengthens goodwill on Earth, and we are excited to expand our countries’ shared values and principles to the cosmos.”
The Artemis Accords, established by NASA and the U.S. Department of State in 2020, have 37 signatory countries to this day and aim to provide a safe, peaceful, and prosperous approach to space activities with its international partners.
The United States have decided to return to the Moon with astronauts as part of the “Artemis” space program, which is open to international cooperation. Switzerland has a lot to offer to partners with its vibrant space community; excellent scientists, innovative companies, precise instrumentation, and an astronaut-in-training, Marco Sieber , with whom Switzerland expects to inspire more young people to reach for the stars.
One specific example of collaboration mentioned during the signing ceremony at NASA is the DIMPLE instrument by the University of Bern. DIMPLE, which stands for “Dating an Irregular Mare Patch with a Lunar Explorer”, serves to study the age and composition of moon terrain and recently won a selective proposal offer by NASA’s Science Directorate as part of the Artemis Missions. Professor Peter Wurz from the University of Bern, Director for Space & Planetary Sciences, was part of the Swiss Delegation to highlight Swiss academia’s contribution to NASA’s lunar exploration.
Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research: International space cooperation: Switzerland signs Artemis Accords
NASA: NASA Welcomes Switzerland as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory
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