MILAN — Estonia officially joined the Artemis Accords on October 13, becoming the 45th nation to sign the U.S.-led agreement for the safe, transparent, and sustainable exploration of space, including missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The signing ceremony, which took place in Milan, Italy, was witnessed by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and other top U.S and Estonian officials.
“We welcome Estonia’s signing of the Artemis Accords, which will open the door for more international collaboration,” Nelson said. “This decision also strengthens our family of nations, united by a common cause, and builds on our commitment to explore space for the benefit of humanity under the sound principles of the accords.”
Estonia’s Minister of Economy and Industry, Errki Keldo, signed the Accords in the presence of Rahima Kandahari, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the U.S. State Department, and Lisa Campbell, President of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Keldo highlighted Estonia’s commitment to contributing to global space efforts.
“Estonia is well known as the leading country in e-governance, and it is a great honor for us to enter a new level in space exploration,” Keldo said.
“We are more than interested in sharing our knowledge with the global space community to make future collaboration in space exploration a success for humankind. I am sure that joining the Artemis Accords will open attractive opportunities to Estonian enterprises too, to share their valuable knowledge and competences.”
The Artemis Accords, established in 2020 by the United States and seven other nations, promote responsible and peaceful exploration of outer space. They are grounded in the Outer Space Treaty and other international agreements, such as the Rescue and Return Agreement and the Registration Convention. The Accords also encourage best practices, including the public release of scientific data.
Estonia’s signing took place ahead of the 75th International Astronautical Congress, hosted by Italy, where government and space officials from signatory countries will discuss advancing the implementation of the Artemis Accords.
The U.S. State Department welcomed Estonia’s decision, noting that the move strengthens global cooperation in space. “We welcome Estonia into the Artemis Accords as we strengthen our collaboration to ensure the sustainable use of space,” the State Department said in a statement on Monday.
The Estonian government joins a growing number of countries—including Japan, France, the United Kingdom, Nigeria, and Rwanda—committed to the principles of the Accords. More nations are expected to sign in the coming months as space exploration continues to expand.
The Accords’ principles aim to guide space activities in a way that ensures transparency, peaceful cooperation, and the responsible use of space resources for the benefit of humanity. With Estonia’s entry, the international coalition backing these goals grows even stronger.
By Gabriel Ani
