"Affirming its commitment to the peaceful, responsible, and sustainable exploration and use of outer space, France became the 20th nation to sign the Artemis Accords at a ceremony hosted today by French Ambassador Philippe Étienne in Washington, DC. The Accords were signed by Philippe Baptiste, President of CNES, the French National Center for Space Studies," the State Department said.
"Grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, the Artemis Accords are a multilateral, nonbinding declaration of principles and rules to enhance governance of the responsible exploration of outer space. Artemis Accords’ principles include the registration of space objects, deconfliction of activities, release of scientific data, and provision of emergency assistance," the State Department said.
"These principles help increase the safety of operations, reduce uncertainty, and promote the sustainable and beneficial use of space for all humankind," it said.