U.S. Department of State
04/20/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/20/2026 15:30
United States Welcomes Latvia’s Signing of the Artemis Accords
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United States Welcomes Latvia's Signing of the Artemis Accords
The Department of State congratulates Latvia on joining the Artemis Accords. Latvia is the 62nd country to sign the Accords to date, pledging its commitment to peaceful exploration and use of space.
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 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.
For more information, including a full list of signatories to the Accords, please visit the Artemis Accords webpage. For media inquiries, please submit a request.
U.S. Department of State published this content on April 20, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on April 20, 2026 at 21:30 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]