Bulgaria Signs The Artemis Accords

Bulgaria has officially joined the U.S.-led Artemis Accords, marking its commitment to principles for cooperative space exploration. In a signing ceremony, held at NASA Headquarters; Bulgaria's Minister of Innovation and Growth, Milena Stoycheva, put pen to paper making Bulgaria the 32nd nation to sign the Accords since their initiation three years ago.

“It is a historical moment for Bulgaria to join the Artemis Accords...we believe that pushing the boundaries of human quest in space with the support of AI and deep technologies will ensure peaceful and sustainable coexistence on Earth.” - Minister Stoycheva 

Bulgaria's participation adds momentum to the growing European involvement in the Accords. Recent signatories from the continent include the Czech Republic, Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands. With Bulgaria's accession, a total of 10 member states of the European Union and 11 member states of the European Space Agency have now joined the Accords.

“Bulgaria has a long and proud tradition of space exploration, including two astronauts and microgravity plasma studies dating back to the 1970s. Bulgaria will add even more diversity, expertise, and creativity to the rapidly growing Artemis Accords family of nations.” - Mike Gold, Chief Growth Officer of Redwire & Former NASA Official

The Artemis Accords, developed by the United States in collaboration with a core group of nations who joined in 2020, aim to operationalize the Outer Space Treaty and other international space laws. The document outlines details on various topics, including the registration of space objects and the deconfliction of space activities. It is important to note that signing the Accords does not necessarily commit nations to participate in NASA's Artemis lunar exploration campaign.

“The global partnerships made in the Artemis era will create possibilities that benefit members of the Artemis Generation in both our countries and around the world. Bulgaria’s leadership will help ensure humanity’s journey to the Moon and beyond is done peacefully, safely, and transparently.” - NASA Administrator Bill Nelson

Bulgaria's decision to join the Accords comes as the third country to do so in recent weeks. The Netherlands signed on during a Nov. 1 ceremony, and it was revealed that Iceland had also recently joined, with the signed copy delivered to the State Department on Oct. 31.