IIt was a simple promise made amid the excitement of a landmark moment in space exploration: “We’re going together,” NASA chief Bill Nelson said. promised the world as the agency prepared to begin Artemis 1its first moon-capable rocket in more than half a century.
Now, nearly two years after that successful unmanned mission, and as the U.S. – despite delays – edges ever closer to putting humans on the lunar surface for the first time since 1972, the resonance of Nelson’s message became clear.
Nasa has matched its giant leaps in space with less prominent, but equally significant, smaller steps on the ground, joining nearly a quarter of the world’s nations at the Artemis Agreementsa global alliance that sets guiding principles for the peaceful future exploration of deep space.
The expansion of its diplomatic reach has accelerated significantly in recent months, with 12 of the now 45 signatories join since January. Estonia became the most recent this week, at the International Astronautical Congress, the world’s largest space conference in Milan, and Nelson is spending his weekend in Bulgaria and Romania, two more members of what he calls the Artemis generation, talking to space and government officials.
A diverse range of partners will be crucial, experts say, to Nasa’s plans to land a crew, including the first woman and first person of color on the moon, in 2026, and its longer-range ambitions to reach Mars. Previous collaborations between nations have resulted in the International Space Station, but the scale of the Artemis project is unprecedented.
“This is the US facilitating a global effort to ensure that together with Artemis, we build not only better technology, but a better future,” said Michael Gold, a former Nasa associate administrator for space policy and partnerships and who led its office of international and interagency relations.
“At their core, the Artemis agreements are a pre-emptive strike against conflict and to ensure that we have a peaceful future. As we made them, we wanted to ensure that they were as inclusive as possible, so that any nation that wanted to support responsible, safe and sustainable exploration could do so.
“It is important that we not only take our astronauts to space, but that we introduce our values of peace, respect for the rule of law, of open science, of sustainable activities. That is what the agreements represent, and that is something that the US, or any nation, cannot accomplish or succeed on its own.”
Notably absent from the list of signatories are China and Russia, which are working together on a proposed international lunar research station (ILRS) for the moon’s south pole by 2035. Nelson warned China disguised his military ambitions into space through a civilian program, and many observers see the country’s call for 50 countries, including Western nationsto join the ILRS project, as a direct challenge to the Artemis agreements.
Gold, now chief growth officer at Redwire, a leading Florida-based infrastructure provider for the commercial space industry, sees more subtle messages in the NASA approach.
“Space is inherently global. There is more that unites us than divides us, for both signatories and non-signatories of the agreements,” he said.
“Remember the agreements are designed to be a start to a discussion, not an end. They have been enormously effective in creating momentum for dialogue and norms of behavior in places like the United Nations involving China and Russia.
“And because the accords were signed by 45 nations, if any nation acts in a way that goes against their values, you’ve at least created a context where that kind of activity will be condemned and seen as breaking what is quickly becoming .traditional international law.
“So even for non-signatory nations, the agreements have a substantial and real effect. You can’t force any country to sign, but what we can do is lead by example, show what good looks like, and I believe that has a non-trivial impact.”
Giovanni Zanalda, director of Duke University’s Rethinking Diplomacy Program and co-founder of its Space Diplomacy Lab, said Nasa has been particularly successful in attracting smaller countries with no previously apparent interest in space.
“Some don’t have space capabilities yet, but are interested and excited about being part of a dialogue,” he said.
“Even small countries realize they are dependent on assets in space, satellite data and imagery for various reasons, agriculture, weather related issues, checking deforestation trends. So even countries that you wouldn’t have thought two years ago are so interested in space and the moon, it’s a different situation, it’s a completely different world.”
Zanalda said the growth of the private space industry, from big players like SpaceX to smaller startups vying for a share, has made the market more global, which he believes has fueled the urgency of internationally accepted principles.
“Certain governments are investing more and more in these activities, which makes sense because so much of our daily lives, whether we’re in the US, Italy, Rwanda or the Philippines, depends on assets in space. That is why some of the discussions are now about future rules and regulations for certain activities,” he said.
“The goal of returning to the moon is close, and the technology, the scientific knowledge, the training, is there, both in terms of astronauts and in terms of private companies that are able to deliver whatever they need have to deliver on the moon .
“So the urgency is there. The rapid increase in the number of countries joining the agreements, as well as the geographic spread, is the result of steady diplomatic legwork done by NASA, the State Department and other US government agencies over the past few years.
“Personally, I see the agreements, as well as other diplomatic initiatives, as a practical approach to tackling current and future global challenges. [There’s a] need for flexible diplomacy.”
