The United States, through NASA, has extended a warm welcome to Switzerland and Sweden, as both nations officially signed the Artemis Accords.
The Artemis Accords, established by NASA and the U.S. State Department in 2020, aim to expand upon the principles outlined in the 1968 "Treaty of Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space".
Among its provisions, the Accords establish standards for NASA missions and include agreements on the rescue of astronauts.
Switzerland became the 37th country to join the Artemis Accords on Monday, with Swiss Federal Councillor and Minister for Economic Affairs, Guy Parmelin, sealing the agreement at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, D.C.
"Switzerland has a long-standing partnership with NASA on human space exploration as well as space and Earth sciences," stated Parmelin. "With the signature of the Artemis Accords, we renew our commitment to jointly explore the heavens above us."
In response to the signing, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson declared, "Today, we marked a giant leap forward in the partnership between the United States and Switzerland."
Following Switzerland's lead, Sweden joined the Accords on Tuesday, becoming the 38th nation to do so.
The signing ceremony took place in Stockholm, with Sweden's Minister for Education, Mats Persson, representing the country.
With 38 nations now part of the Artemis Accords, including countries like Canada, Japan, and Nigeria, NASA anticipates further expansion.
The agency's Artemis missions aim to land the first woman, first person of color, and the first international partner astronaut on the moon, paving the way for eventual human missions to Mars.
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