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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artemis Accords | 1/3 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemis_Accords | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T12:36:16.828633+00:00 | kb-cron |
The Artemis Accords are a set of non-binding multilateral arrangements between the United States government and other world governments that elaborates on the norms expected to be followed in outer space. The Accords are related to the Artemis program, an American-led effort to return humans to the Moon in 2028, with the ultimate goal of expanding space exploration to Mars and beyond. As of May 4, 2026, with the accession of Ireland and Malta, 66 countries have signed the Accords, including 31 in Europe, 16 in Asia, seven in South America, five in North America, five in Africa, and two in Oceania. Drafted by NASA and the U.S. Department of State, the Accords establish a framework for cooperation in the civil exploration and peaceful use of the Moon, Mars, and other astronomical objects. They are explicitly grounded in the United Nations Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which signatories are obliged to uphold, and cite most major U.N.-brokered conventions constituting space law. The Accords were originally signed on October 13, 2020, by representatives of the national space agencies of eight countries: Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Accords remain open for signature indefinitely, as NASA anticipates more nations joining. Additional signatories can choose to directly participate in Artemis program activities, or may agree simply to commit to the principles for responsible exploration of the Moon as set out in the Accords.
== List of parties ==
== History == On May 5, 2020, Reuters published an exclusive report that the Donald Trump administration was drafting a new international agreement for mining on the Moon, which would draw from the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. Ten days later, then-NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine officially announced the Artemis Accords, a series of agreements with partner nations aimed at establishing a governing framework for exploring and mining the Moon. The Accords originated from the eponymous Artemis Program, an American plan launched in 2017 to send the first woman and the next man to the Moon by 2024. Bridenstine stated that the agreements were intended to create a uniform set of guidelines for countries to avoid potential conflict or misunderstanding in future space endeavors; governments that sign the Accords may formally take part in the Artemis Program. The Accords were drafted by NASA, the U.S. Department of State, and the newly re-established National Space Council; a draft was released to several governments for consultation before the final document was announced in May 2020. On October 13, 2020, in a recorded and livestreamed ceremony, the Accords were signed by the directors of the national space agencies of the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Luxembourg, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. The head of the Ukrainian national space agency signed the Accords exactly one month later. In 2021, South Korea became the tenth country to sign the Accords, with New Zealand joining a week later. The following June, Brazil became the first country in Latin America to join the Artemis Accords, after previously indicating its intent to sign in 2020. Poland signed the Accords at the 72nd International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Dubai, with the head of the Polish Space Agency expressing a desire to develop indigenous Polish space technology. Mexico joined the Accords in December 2021. In 2022, the number of signatories of the Accords more than doubled from the previous year: Israel signed, followed by Romania, Bahrain, and Singapore in March; Colombia in May, and France on June 7, 2022, the 60th anniversary of the founding of its space program (pursuant to meetings in November 2021 between U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and French President Emmanuel Macron in which he expressed France's intent to join). Saudi Arabia signed the Accords on July 14, 2022, becoming the fourth Middle Eastern and third Arab country to join. On December 13, 2022, at the United States–Africa Leaders Summit 2022, Rwanda and Nigeria became the first African nations to sign the Artemis Accords. Representatives from signatory nations held their first meeting on September 19, 2022, at the IAC to discuss the Accords and cooperation in space more broadly. In 2023, signatories to the Accords continued to grow, including: the Czech Republic and Spain both signing within a single month, followed by Ecuador as well as India signing the Accords during prime minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the U.S. In September 2023, Director General of the German Space Agency at DLR and Member of the DLR Executive Board Walther Pelzer, signed the Accords for Germany in the German embassy in Washington D.C. The ceremony was attended and witnessed as well by Space-Coordinator of the German Government, Anna Christmann, the current German ambassador in Washington, Andreas Michaelis as well as the Administrator of NASA, Bill Nelson. Iceland, the Netherlands and Bulgaria joined in October/November 2023. Angola joined in December 2023 during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. In 2024, Belgium, Greece, Uruguay, Switzerland, Sweden, Slovenia, Lithuania, Peru, Slovakia, Armenia, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Chile, Denmark, Panama, Austria, Thailand, and Liechtenstein joined the Accords. With the accession of Thailand into the Accords on December 16, 2024, it became the first signatory to participate in both the International Lunar Research Station and the Artemis Accords, the second being Senegal. In 2025, Finland, Bangladesh, Norway, Senegal, Hungary, Malaysia and the Philippines joined the Accords. The Philippines and Malaysia joined the Accords on the sidelines of the 2025 ASEAN Summits. In 2026, Portugal, Oman, Latvia, Jordan, Morocco, Malta, and Ireland joined the Accords.