The Artemis Accords are a non-binding set of principles for outer space exploration and development, established through a series of bilateral agreements between the United States and partner nations. 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.
, with the accession of San Marino, 76 countries have signed the Accords, including 35 in Europe, 17 in Asia, 8 in South America, 5 in North America, 9 in Africa, and 2 in Oceania.
Drafted by NASA and the US 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. The broader legal status of space mining remains unclear. Proponents argue the Accords oblige signatories to uphold the United Nations Outer Space Treaty of 1967, and that they cite most major UN-brokered conventions constituting space law.Except the Moon Treaty, despite Australia having ratified it. The Moon Treaty only has 17 State Parties, none of which has engaged in self-launched human spaceflight. Critics have argued the Accords violate the Outer Space Treaty's prohibition of national appropriation of outer space by allowing signatories to claim resources extracted from the Moon, asteroids, and other bodies, that this favors US and commercial mining interests, and that they subvert the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.
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 signatories State Continent Signed Official signing Oceania Megan Clark, head of the Australian Space Agency Lisa Campbell, president of the Canadian Space Agency Europe Riccardo Fraccaro, Undersecretary of State at the Presidency of the Italian Council of Ministers Asia Hagiuda Koichi, Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and Inoue Shinji, Minister of State for Space Policy Europe Franz Fayot, Minister of the Economy Asia Sarah Al Amiri, Minister for Advanced Technology and Chair of the United Arab Emirates Space Agency Europe Graham Turnock, Chief Executive of the UK Space AgencyThe signature of the UK was extended to the Isle of Man on July 27, 2021 North America James Bridenstine, NASA Administrator Europe Asia Lim Hyesook, Minister of Science and ICT Oceania Peter Crabtree, New Zealand Space Agency Marcos Pontes, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation Europe Grzegorz Wrochna, president of Polish Space Agency North America Marcelo Ebrard, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Asia Uri Oron, Director General of the Israel Space Agency Europe Marius-Ioan Piso, president and CEO of the Romanian Space Agency Asia Dr. Mohamed Al Aseeri, CEO of National Space Science Agency Asia Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Trade and Industry South America Marta Lucía Ramírez, Vice President and Foreign Minister Europe Philippe Baptiste, president of CNES Asia Mohammed bin Saud Al-Tamimi, CEO of the Saudi Space Commission Africa Isa Ali Ibrahim, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Africa Francis Ngabo, CEO of Rwanda Space Agency Europe Jan Lipavský, Minister of Foreign Affairs Europe Diana Morant, Minister of Science and Innovation South America Gustavo Manrique, Minister of Foreign Affairs Asia Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Ambassador of India to the United States South America Daniel Filmus, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation Europe Walther Pelzer, Director General of the German Space Agency at DLR Europe Europe Harm van de Wetering, Director of Netherlands Space Office Europe Milena Stoycheva, Minister of Innovation and Growth Africa Europe Hadja Lahbib, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium Europe Giorgos Gerapetritis, Minister of Foreign Affairs South America Omar Paganini, Minister of Foreign Affairs Europe Guy Parmelin, Federal Councillor Europe Mats Persson, Minister for Education Europe EuropeAušrinė Armonaitė, Minister of Economy and Innovation South AmericaJavier González-Olaechea, Minister of Foreign Affairs Europe Asia Mkhitar Hayrapetyan, Minister of High-Tech Industry North America Sonia Guzmán, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to the United States Europe Erkki Keldo, Minister of Economy and Industry Asia Nicodemos Damianou, Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation, and Digital Policy South America Aisén Etcheverry, Minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation Europe Christina Egelund, Minister of Higher Education and Science North America José Miguel Alemán Healy, Ambassador of the Republic of Panama to the United States Europe Petra Schneebauer, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the United States Asia Pakorn Apaphant, Executive Director of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency Europe Rainer Schnepfleitner, Director of Liechtenstein's Office for Communications Europe Wille Rydman, Minister of Economic Affairs Asia Ashraf Uddin, Secretary of Defence of Bangladesh Europe Cecilie Myrseth, Minister of Trade and Industry Africa Maram Kairé, Director General of the Senegalese Space Study Agency Europe Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs Asia Mohamad Hasan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Asia Gay Jane Perez, Officer-in-charge of the Philippine Space Agency Europe Helena Canhão, Secretary of State for Science and Innovation Asia Said al-Maawali, Minister of Transportation, Communication, and Information Technology Europe Dace Melbārde, Minister for Education and Science Asia Dina Kawar, Jordanian Ambassador to the United States Africa Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Europe Clifton Grima, Minister for Education, Youth, Sports, Research and Innovation Europe Peter Burke, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment South America Osvaldo Almirón Riveros, Minister President of the Paraguayan Space Agency Africa David Tshere, Minister of Communications and Innovation Europe Marko Đurić, Minister of Foreign Affairs Africa Navindsing Jugmohunsing, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Research Asia Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of Industry and Technology Africa Mohamed Siad Doualeh, Djiboutian Ambassador to the United States Europe Ferit Hoxha, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Europe Radovan Fuchs, Minister of Science, Education and Youth Africa Adama Diawara, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific ResearchEuropeSep 25, 2026Rossano Fabbri, Minister of Industry and Technological Research
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, Ireland, Paraguay, Botswana, Serbia, Mauritius, Turkey, Djibouti, Albania, Croatia, Ivory Coast, and San Marino joined the Accords.
Principles