Fifteen of the 25 signatory countries of the Artemis Accords will be represented at the talks, which take place in the northern Polish city of Gdańsk from June 19 to 21, according to officials.
Grzegorz Wrochna, CEO of the Polish space agency POLSA, told reporters it was “a big honour” for Poland to "organise such a key event.”
He added: “It sends a clear message of appreciation for Poland’s role in space projects and reflects Poland’s growing voice internationally.”
Code of practice for Moon missions
During the three-day meeting in Gdańsk, space experts from 15 countries are set to hold discussions in two working groups, according to POLSA.
In the Artemis Accords Emerging Space Actors Working Group, co-chaired by Poland and Brazil, officials will seek ways to involve less experienced nations in space research and exploration, based on the principles of the Artemis Accords.
Wrochna said the meeting would comprise “discussions, brainstorming sessions and exchange of best practice," resulting in “concrete policy proposals.”
Meanwhile, the Working Group on Mitigation and Avoidance of Interference to Promote Safety in Lunar Operations, chaired by the United States, is expected to discuss a code of practice to govern future missions to the Moon, officials said.
POLSA’s Wrochna told reporters: “According to America’s space agency NASA, at least 22 missions will head to the Moon in the next four years alone, half of which will land on the south pole. Given such a high number of projects, and the potential issues that may arise, due to their proximity to each other, for instance, such a code of practice simply must be developed and complied with.”
Policy proposals drawn up by both working groups will be presented at a meeting of national space chiefs at the 2023 International Astronautical Congress in Baku, Azerbaijan, on October 2-6, POLSA said.
'The next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars'
The Artemis Accords are designed to deepen international cooperation in the exploration of space, notably in NASA’s Artemis programme to return humans to the Moon “and establish the first long-term human-robotic presence on and around the Moon,” according to officials.
NASA declared: “We will use what we learn on and at the Moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.”
Poland joined the Artemis Accords at the International Astronautical Congress in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in October 2021.
So far, 25 countries have signed up to the agreement: the United States, Poland, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Colombia, the Czech Republic, France, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Mexico, Nigeria, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates.
'Moon mining industry'
Poland’s space industry is able to provide the Artemis Programme with science instruments, measuring apparatus, as well as AI-powered robotics and steering elements, POLSA said.
NASA’s programme will especially need ways to explore, secure and process lunar resources for the construction of bases on the Moon, according to officials.
This will give rise to "a new Moon mining industry," which can become a new Polish specialty, POLSA said.
Poland’s universities are already beginning to teach future experts in this field, the Polish space agency said.
(pm/gs)
Source: POLSA, space24.pl