WASHINGTON — Sweden agreed to the Artemis Accords, which set out the best ways to explore space responsibly, on April 16. This makes it the second European country to join within two days.
NASA and the Swedish government announced that Sweden had signed the accords at a ceremony at government offices in Stockholm. Mats Persson, Sweden’s minister for education and research, signed the accords alongside the U.S. ambassador to Sweden, Erik D. Ramanathan.
“By joining the Artemis Accords, Sweden strengthens its strategic space partnership with the U.S. on space, including areas such as Swedish space research and the space industry. This, in turn, enhances Sweden’s overall defense capability,” Persson said in a statement.
Sweden is the 38th country to sign the accords and the second in as many days, afterth Switzerland signed on April 15 at NASA Headquarters. With Sweden’s accession, 14 out of the 22 full members of the European Space Agency have joined, along with 13 out of 27 members of the European Union.“Our nations have worked together to discover new secrets in our Solar System, and now, we welcome you to a global coalition that is committed to exploring space openly, transparently, responsibly, and peacefully,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement. “The United States and Sweden share the same basic principles, and we’re thrilled to expand these principles to the cosmos.”
The Artemis Accords began with eight countries, including the United States, in 2020, and has steadily grown since then. The document outlines best practices intended to implement provisions of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and other international agreements, as well as in other areas such as the use of space resources and sharing of scientific data.
Sweden agreed to the Artemis Accords, which set out the best ways to explore space responsibly, on April 16. This makes it the second European country to join within two days.
