The Artemis Accords has just gained its 53rd member nation, bolstering NASA's efforts to establish peaceful and cooperative international space exploration.
Finland joined NASA's Artemis Accords on Jan. 21 through a signing ceremony that took place on the sidelines of the Winter Satellite Workshop 2025 in Espoo, Finland. The signing makes the Nordic country the latest to commit to the safe and responsible exploration of space that benefits humanity, according to a NASA statement.
"Finland has been part of the space exploration community for decades with Finnish companies and research institutes producing many innovations and technologies," Finland's Minister of Economic Affairs, Wille Rydman, said in a different statement.
"With the Artemis Accords, we will strengthen our partnership with the United States and other allies. Our aim is that the cooperation will open up opportunities for the Finnish space sector in the new era of space exploration and the Artemis program," Rydman added.
"Today, Finland is joining a community of nations that want to share scientific data freely, operate safely, and preserve the space environment for the Artemis Generation," said NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free, in pre-recorded remarks for the ceremony.
Related: Artemis Accords: What are they & which countries are involved?
The Artemis Accords were founded in October 2020, when eight original countries signed up. The Accords are a set of statements that set out common principles, guidelines and best practices for exploration of the moon and beyond. The Accords also affirm principles set out in 1967 in the Outer Space Treaty to help govern international cooperation space.
Finland follows Liechtenstein, Thailand, Panama and Austria as the most recent in a growing list of international signatories.
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