Overview
- Latvia became the 62nd signatory at a NASA Headquarters ceremony Monday, where Minister Dace Melbārde signed as NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, U.S. Under Secretary Jacob Helberg, and Latvian diplomat Jānis Beķeris looked on.
- By signing, Latvia commits to peaceful and transparent exploration, sharing scientific data, aiding those in distress, avoiding interference with other missions, and protecting historic sites on the Moon.
- Latvia is the third country to join in 2026 after Oman and Portugal, reflecting a broader push tied to the Artemis 2 mission and NASA’s March Ignition event that outlined plans for a sustained lunar base.
- Signatories are now turning principles into practice through monthly virtual meetings and an in‑person workshop in Peru this spring to define shared mission data and deconfliction procedures for lunar operations.
- The United States launched the Artemis Accords in 2020 with seven partners to set clear, nonbinding norms for safe, coordinated exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.