Panama and Austria signed the Artemis Accords on December 11, 2024, during separate signing ceremonies at NASA HQ in Washington, becoming the 49th and 50th nations to sign up to the accords.
“NASA welcomes Panama and Austria to the Artemis Accords community and celebrates 50 countries united by shared principles for the safe and responsible exploration of space,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
In 2020, the United States, led by NASA with the US Department of State, and seven other initial signatory nations established the Artemis Accords, identifying a set of principles promoting the beneficial use of space for humanity
In just a few years, the original group of signatories has multiplied, with 17 countries signings in 2024. The Artemis Accords represent a robust community, from every region of the world, unified by the same goal – to ensure safe and responsible civil space exploration.
The accords are grounded in the Outer Space Treaty and other agreements including the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices and norms of responsible behavior that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data
They committed to a method of operation and set of recommendations on non-interference, interoperability, release of scientific data, long-term sustainability guidelines, and registration to advance the implementation of the Artemis Accords.
Potential focus areas for the next year include further advancing sustainability, including debris management for both lunar orbit and the surface of the Moon.
Petra Schneebauer, ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the United States, signed the accords on behalf of Austria, becoming the 50th country signatory.
“Austria is proud to sign the Artemis Accords, an important step in fostering international cooperation for the civil exploration of the Moon and expanding humanity’s presence in the cosmos,” said Schneebauer. “By signing the Accords, we reaffirm our commitment to the peaceful, responsible, and cooperative use of space while emphasising our support for strong multilateral partnerships and scientific progress. This cooperation will open new prospects for Austrian businesses, scientists, and research institutions to engage in pioneering space initiatives.”
Earlier in the day, Nelson hosted Panama for a signing ceremony. José Miguel Alemán Healy, ambassador of the Republic of Panama to the United States, signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of Panama. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Tony Fernandes for US Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs also participated in the event.
“Today, Panama takes its place among many other nations looking not just to our own horizons, but to the horizons beyond our planet – exploring, learning, and contributing to humanity’s collective knowledge,” said Alemán.”This moment represents far more than a diplomatic signature. It is a bold commitment to peaceful exploration, scientific discovery, and international collaboration.”
The accords are a voluntary commitment to engage in safe, transparent, responsible behavior in space, and any nation that wants to commit to those values is welcome to sign.
