Artemis Accords signing should be General Election issue says society

Call for candidates to 'boost' STEM on IoM

Prospective MHKs are being called on to back the signing of the Artemis Accords.

The Isle of Man Chapter of the Mars Society says the agreement - which looks at how nations behave during space exploration - should be a General Election issue.

It’s urging cross party support for the Island to become a signatory in its own right and has written to every candidate standing in September’s vote.

The Artemis Accords is an international framework for peaceful, transparent, space exploration and is now backed by more than 70 nations including the United Kingdom.

The Accords, launched by NASA in 2020 and grounded in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, are non-binding.

They require no parliamentary ratification, membership fee or financial contribution to sign.

Stuart Mullan, Chapter Leader of the Isle of Man Chapter of the Mars Society, said: “This is a low-risk, high-visibility way for the Isle of Man to say something ambitious about where it's headed.

“Signing the Artemis Accords costs nothing and commits us to nothing beyond principles we already stand for — but it puts us on the map internationally and gives a real boost to the case for STEM here at home.

“With a new government about to take office there's no better moment to raise it.”

Stuart, and AstroManx astronomer Howard Parkin, has been speaking to John Moss:

The General Election will take place on 24 September; you can find out more HERE.