Hungary, Malaysia, and the Philippines have become the latest countries to sign the Artemis Accords, an international agreement that outlines principles for peaceful and responsible space exploration. The U.S. Department of State announced that each country became a signatory during separate ceremonies in October.
Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó signed the Accords on October 22 during a bilateral meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Malaysia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohamad bin Hasan signed on October 26 during the ASEAN Leaders’ Meetings in Kuala Lumpur. On October 27, Gay Perez, Officer-in-Charge of the Philippines Space Agency, signed on behalf of the Philippine government in Kuala Lumpur, with Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jacob Helberg and Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker present.
The Artemis Accords were established by the United States and seven other countries in 2020 as a framework to promote sustainable civil space activities. With these new additions, there are now 59 signatories affirming their commitment to these principles.
"The Department of State congratulates Hungary, Malaysia and the Philippines on joining the Artemis Accords. The three countries became signatories at separate ceremonies in October, pledging their commitment to peaceful space exploration and use. With these latest signatories, 59 countries have signed the Accords to date," according to a statement from the Department of State.
The Department of State and NASA lead U.S. efforts related to outreach and implementation of the Artemis Accords. More details about participating nations can be found on their official Artemis Accords page.