The Republic of Albania signed the Artemis Accords on Monday at NASA headquarters in Washington, joining an international coalition of nations committed to responsible space exploration, the agency said.
Albania is the 73rd country to sign the accord, which was established in 2020 to set practical principles for nations and private companies as they pursue lunar activities and exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The agreement commits signatories to explore space peaceably and transparently, render aid to those in need, enable access to scientific data, and avoid interfering with other nations' activities.
"It is a great honor for Albania to join the growing community of nations that have signed these important Artemis Accords," Albania's Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hoxha said during the ceremony. "We do so as a country deeply committed to international law, multilateral cooperation, and the belief that humanity's greatest achievements are realized not in isolation, but through partnerships."
Albania has moved to strengthen its use of space-based technology in recent years. The country launched two Earth-observation satellites, Albania-1 and Albania-2, in January 2023 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Albania has also participated in NASA's Space Apps Challenge, an annual global hackathon connecting students, technologists, and innovators with NASA's open data to develop solutions to real-world challenges.