The Republic of San Marino became the 76th signatory to the Artemis Accords during a ceremony in Rimini on Friday, joining a coalition of nations committed to space exploration, NASA said. Rossano Fabbri, San Marino's Minister of Industry and Technological Research, signed on behalf of the nation.
NASA and State Department officials participated in the ceremony, including Gregory Mann, NASA's Europe representative, and Joseph Tordella, the U.S. Consul General in Florence.
The Artemis Accords, established in 2020 by NASA and the State Department with seven other founding nations, set principles for space exploration. Nations signing the agreement commit to exploring space peaceably and transparently, rendering aid to those in need, enabling access to scientific data, ensuring their activities do not interfere with others', and preserving historically significant sites and artifacts.
Fabbri said, "We fully share the principles and values expressed in the Artemis Accords, and we are convinced that the signatory states united under the Accords will make a tangible contribution to promoting international cooperation in space and ensuring the use of space for peaceful purposes."