Bulgaria has officially joined the Artemis Accords, a collaborative framework for international cooperation in space exploration led by the United States. Milena Stoycheva, Bulgaria's Minister of Innovation and Growth, signed the accords on November 9 at a ceremony held at NASA Headquarters. Bulgaria's inclusion makes it the 32nd nation to endorse the document since its introduction three years ago.
In a statement, Stoycheva remarked on the historical significance of Bulgaria joining the Artemis Accords, emphasizing the country's commitment to pushing the boundaries of space exploration with the support of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies. She highlighted the belief that such efforts contribute to ensuring peaceful and sustainable coexistence on Earth.
Bulgaria joins a growing list of European countries that have recently signed the Artemis Accords. The roster includes the Czech Republic, Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands. With Bulgaria's participation, 10 member states of the European Union and 11 member states of the European Space Agency are now part of the accords.
Mike Gold, Chief Growth Officer of Redwire and a former NASA official involved in developing the Artemis Accords, acknowledged Bulgaria's rich space exploration history, noting that the country's expertise and creativity would enhance the diverse collaboration among nations endorsing the accords.
The Artemis Accords, initiated by the United States in 2020, aim to build upon existing space treaties like the Outer Space Treaty, providing detailed guidelines on aspects such as space object registration and deconfliction of space activities. It's noteworthy that signing the accords does not inherently commit nations to participating in NASA's Artemis lunar exploration campaign.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson expressed the significance of global partnerships in the Artemis era, emphasizing the potential benefits for the Artemis Generation worldwide. Nelson commended Bulgaria's leadership role, anticipating that it will contribute to ensuring humanity's exploration of the Moon and beyond is conducted peacefully, safely, and transparently.
Bulgaria's decision to join the Artemis Accords follows recent signings by the Netherlands on November 1. Additionally, it was revealed that Iceland had also joined, with a signed copy delivered to the State Department by the Icelandic embassy on October 31. NASA spokesperson Roxana Bardan expressed hopes for a joint celebration of Iceland's decision to join the Artemis Accords family in the coming weeks.