NASA Welcomes Malta as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory

Credit: NASA The Republic of Malta became the 65th signatory to the Artemis Accords on Monday during a ceremony in the town of Kalkara with NASA and U.S. Department of State officials present. “Today, it’s my pleasure to welcome the Republic of Malta to the Artemis Accords community,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in recorded remarks. “By joining this growing coalition, Malta affirms shared commitments to peaceful, transparent, and responsible space exploration. These commitments safeguard against chaos and confusion, and they chart a responsible path forward for every nation that dares to accomplish the near-impossible in space.” Malta’s Minister for Education, Youth, Sports, Research and Innovation Clifton Grima signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of the country. “Malta is taking a deliberate step to position itself within a high-value, innovation-driven global sector,” said Grima. “This initiative strengthens our governance framework, enhances Malta’s international credibility and creates new opportunities to attract investment, build expertise and generate quality employment within the space economy.” U.S. Ambassador to Malta Somers W. Farkas and NASA Europe Representative Gregory Mann witnessed the signing together with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg. The United States and Malta have a long history of shared values and common interests, dating back to the American Revolution. NASA looks forward to future engagement on the Artemis Accords and recently outlined new opportunities for signatory countries to deepen their participation in NASA’s Artemis program. In 2020, during the first Trump Administration, the United States, led by NASA and the U.S. Department of State, joined with seven other founding nations to establish the Artemis Accords, responding to the growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies. The Artemis Accords introduced the first set of practical princip