Lithuania Joins the Artemis Accords

Lithuania has become the 40th nation to sign the Artemis Accords, marking a significant step forward in international cooperation for peaceful and sustainable space exploration.

The signing ceremony was held in Vilnius, Lithuania, and was attended by Ausrine Armonaite, Lithuania’s minister of economy and innovation, and U.S. Ambassador Kara McDonald, NASA said.

Armonaite underscored Lithuania’s thriving space sector and its commitment to the Artemis Accords‘ principles of responsible and safe space exploration.

The Artemis Accords, established in 2020 by NASA and several other partner nations, outline a set of principles based on existing space treaties, promoting peaceful exploration, transparency and the sustainable use of space resources for humanity’s benefit.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson welcomed Lithuania and emphasized the importance of the new partnership. He also highlighted the rapid growth of the Artemis Accords, with 40 countries signing on in just four years.

The Artemis Accords complement NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman, first person of color and first international partner on the moon.