Eight countries sign Artemis Accords: does this situation represent the beginning of an "UN Moonexit"?
Hello reader! Below you can read the news " Eight countries sign Artemis Accords ", published on Space News' website, in 10/13/2020. Seven countries ( Australia, Canada, Japan, Luxembourg, Italy, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom ) have joined the United States in signing the Artemis Accords, a set of principles governing norms of behavior for those who want to participate in the Artemis lunar exploration program. This is an epic and emblematic moment for space exploration but, on the other hand, a challenging situation for an international United Nations agreement on this theme, such as the UN Moon Treaty. In particular for Australia, this is a curious and uncommon situation considering the Aussies are a party country of UN Moon Treaty and now are, simultaneously, member of Artemis Accords. Given this peculiar situation, the big objective questions now are: How will Australia legally deal with this situation as an original State party to the Moon Treaty?