United States Welcomes Latvia As 62nd Signatory To The Artemis Accords

United States Department of State has welcomed Latvia to the Artemis Accords, as Latvia becomes the 62nd country to sign the Accords to date, pledging its commitment to peaceful exploration and use of space.

A statement by the State Department said Latvia’s Minister of Education and Science Dace Melbārde signed the Accords on behalf of the Republic of Latvia on April 20, 2026.

State Department Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman witnessed and celebrated the signing at a ceremony at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters, the statement added.

According to the statement, the United States and Latvia maintain strong science and technology partnerships, with research cooperation expanding under the 2024 bilateral Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement.

The United States and seven other countries established the Artemis Accords in 2020 to serve as a set of practical principles to guide responsible space exploration.

Latvia joins the United States and 60 other nations in affirming the Accords’ principles for sustainable civil space activity.  The Department of State and NASA lead the United States’ outreach and implementation of the Accords, the statement added.