Ha Long, Vietnam; October 2026: Vietnam’s Minister of Science and Technology Vũ Hải Quân has signed the Accords on behalf of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on the margins of Vietnam International Digital Week in Ha Long in Vietnam. U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Jennifer Wicks has witnessed and celebrated the signing.
Vietnam’s decision extends the US-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership into a new frontier.Built on more than 30 years of cooperation, the partnership spans defence, economic, law enforcement, war legacy, and technological cooperation, and it advances peace, stability, and prosperity in a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The U.S. Department of State has congratulated the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on joining the Artemis Accords. Space exploration is entering a new era of discovery and opportunity, with growing importance for scientific advancement, economic growth, and the technologies that will shape the future. As the 78th signatory, Vietnam joins a growing coalition of nations dedicated to space policy that will extend the reach of human discovery and innovation using safe, transparent, and responsible space exploration and use. Vietnam will help put these shared principles into practice as a committed partner in the peaceful, cooperative use of space.
The United States and seven other countries: Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, had established the Artemis Accords on October 13, 2020 during President Trump’s first term, which was grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 (OST), to serve as a set of practical principles to guide responsible space exploration. The U.S. Department of State and NASA lead the United States outreach and also the implementation of the Accords.
Earlier, this month on October 19th, 2026, Uzbekistan had become the 77th nation to sign the accords.
The Artemis Accords principles establish a common understanding regarding mutually beneficial practices in the exploration and use of outer space, including activities conducted in support of NASA’s Artemis program. These principles will help to ensure the maintenance of a safe and predictable outer space environment.
·Peaceful Purposes: Consistent with the Outer Space Treaty, the Artemis Accords affirm that cooperative activities should be exclusively for peaceful purposes and in accordance with international law.
·Transparency: Transparency is a key principle for responsible civil space exploration and use. Artemis Accords signatories are committed to the broad dissemination of information regarding their respective national space policies and space exploration plans in accordance with their national rules and regulations.
·Interoperability: Working in the space environment is incredibly challenging. Interoperability enhances the potential for space exploration that is safe and robust among cooperating nations.
·Emergency Assistance: The provision of emergency assistance is vital. Artemis Accords signatories commit to taking all reasonable efforts to render necessary assistance to personnel in outer space who are in distress and acknowledge their obligations under the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, the Return of Astronauts and the Return of Objects Launched into Outer Space.
·Registration of Space Objects: Appropriate registration of space objects can help to mitigate risk of harmful interference. The Artemis Accords reinforce the importance of meeting our obligations under the Registration Convention.
·Release of Scientific Data: Sharing scientific data with the global community in a timely and transparent manner can help ensure the entire world can benefit from space exploration.
·Protecting Heritage: Outer space heritage is our shared heritage. Accords signatories intend to preserve historically significant human or robotics landing sites, artifacts, spacecraft, and other evidence of activity on celestial bodies, and contribute to multilateral efforts to further develop applicable international practices and rules.
·Space Resources: The utilization of space resources should be done in a manner that complies with the Outer Space Treaty, can benefit humankind and is critical to sustainable operations.
·Deconfliction of Activities: Provisions relating to due regard and harmful interference are key obligations of the Outer Space Treaty. Artemis Accords signatories help implement these obligations by providing notification of their activities, including regarding the location and general nature of their operations, and coordinating with any relevant actor to avoid harmful interference. The area covered by the notification and coordination is referred to as a “safety zone.”
·Orbital Debris and Spacecraft Disposal: Planning to mitigate for orbital debris, as well as disposing safely of spacecrafts, is critical to maintaining a safe environment in space and operating in space sustainably.
Artemis Accords Signatories as of October 2026 –
Albania, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, the Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Rwanda, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Türkiye, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
Team Maverick.
