Albania became the 73rd country to sign the Artemis Accords on 21 September 2026, in a ceremony held at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, D.C., according to NASA. Albania’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ferit Hoxha, signed on behalf of the country alongside Ambassador Ervin Bushati, joining a framework of principles that guides how signatory nations behave when exploring the Moon, Mars and other bodies in space.
What the Accords Commit Signatories To
The Artemis Accords, established in 2020 by NASA and the US Department of State together with seven founding nations, are political commitments rather than a binding treaty. Signatories agree to explore space peacefully and transparently, assist astronauts or spacecraft in distress, share scientific data openly, avoid interfering with other nations’ space activities, and protect sites of historic significance on the Moon and beyond. The Accords also call for signatories to register objects they send into space and to plan for the safe disposal of spacecraft and debris at the end of a mission’s life.
A Statement of Partnership
Albanian officials affirmed the country’s commitment to peaceful, transparent, sustainable and cooperative exploration of space, with NASA noting that Albania emphasised humanity’s greatest achievements are realised through partnership. The signing continues a steady expansion of the Accords since 2020, adding nations without independent launch capability to a framework increasingly seen as the emerging standard of behaviour in space.
Why It Matters
Each additional signatory broadens the set of nations publicly committed to a shared, US-led framework for behaviour in space at a time when more governments and private companies are pursuing lunar and deep-space missions. For smaller states like Albania, joining offers a formal route into the international space community and a voice in shaping norms, even without the resources to launch missions of their own.
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