Ibadan, 18 April 2024. – Sweden has become the latest and 38th signatory to the Artemis Accords, as Swedish Minister for Education Dr. Mats Persson signed the accords at an event in Stockholm.
Sweden has consequently affirmed its dedication to the sustainable use of space at the Swedish Government Offices. Participants at the signing included Persson and Ambassador Erik D. Ramanathan, the U.S. ambassador to Sweden, who gave remarks welcoming the Scandinavian Country to the Accords family. Pre-recorded remarks by NASA Administrator Bill Nelson played during the ceremony as well.
Speaking on becoming a signatory to the Accords, Swedish Minister Persson, shared, “Sweden has an advanced space sector, and the societal benefits of space research and activities have grown in importance. By joining the Artemis Accords, Sweden strengthens its strategic space partnership with the U.S. on space covering areas such as Swedish space research and the space industry, which in turn also strengthens Sweden’s total defense capability.”
Likewise, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, added, “NASA welcomes Sweden to the Artemis Accords family. 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 the heavens openly, transparently, responsibly, and in peace. The United States and Sweden share the same bedrock principles, and we’re excited to expand these principles to the cosmos.”
The Artemis Accords are a set of principles to guide the next phase in space exploration. Furthermore, they provide important implementation of key obligations from the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and reinforce the commitment by the United States and signatory nations to the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as best practices of responsible behavior that NASA and its partners have supported.
