Candidates standing in the Isle of Man’s general election have been urged to support the island’s involvement in international space agreements, including the Artemis Accords and the International Outer Space Treaty.
The Isle of Man branch of the Mars Society has written to candidates calling for the island to support the Artemis Accords, a framework for peaceful, transparent space exploration backed by more than 70 countries. The UK is among the agreement’s founding members.
Launched by NASA in 2020, the Artemis Accords are non-binding and do not require congressional ratification, membership fees or government funding.
Mars Society branch manager Stuart Mullan described the agreement as a “low-risk, high-profile way” for the Isle of Man to demonstrate its ambitions in the space sector.
“Signing the Artemis Accords costs nothing and does not promise anything beyond the principles we already uphold,” Mullan said.
“Joining this agreement would give the Isle of Man greater international visibility and increase demand for further development in STEM—science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This is a project for the island.”
The Isle of Man Space Registry already processes satellite applications for several major space operators, giving the island an established connection to the global space industry.
“No one is suggesting that the Isle of Man will start launching rockets,” Mullan added.
“All we ask is that candidates consider promoting the Isle of Man as an attractive hub for STEM companies and businesses. These organisations could create the skilled, well-paid jobs that the island urgently needs.”
“The space sector needs many of the same services that the island already provides for the aviation and maritime industries.”
“These include financial and legal services, tax expertise, insurance and regulatory knowledge. It would be a mistake not to seriously consider whether the Isle of Man can capture a share of this rapidly growing industry. We think it can.”
Elon Musk’s SpaceX operates a satellite ground station on the island. Major satellite companies, including SES, Inmarsat, Avanti and Telesat, also register spacecraft through the Isle of Man’s filing system.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk