The Republic of Serbia signed the Artemis Accords on Thursday during a ceremony hosted by NASA at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, becoming the 69th nation to join a large community of like-minded nations committed to the peaceful, transparent and responsible exploration of space.

“Serbia’s connection to NASA dates back to the Apollo program, when the work of Serbian engineers helped make possible some of humanity’s greatest achievements in space,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson. “Among them was Milojko ‘Mike’ Vučelić, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for the critical role he played in bringing the Apollo 13 crew home safely. His story is a reminder that the greatest achievements in space are possible through talented people working together.”

The broader team of Serbian-American engineers played key roles during the Apollo era in systems engineering, propulsion, power systems, spacecraft docking, electronic reliability, and mission coordination. Their expertise supported critical functions ranging from lunar landing analysis to safe spacecraft docking.

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Đurić signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of the country.

“The afterlife has always inspired humanity to achieve its greatest feats, from the Roman ‘per aspera ad astra’ to Norman Vincent Peale’s belief that if we aim for the Moon, we will at least land among the stars,” Đurić said. “Those words seem especially appropriate today. We come from a nation of great minds like Nikola Tesla and Milutin Milanković, but also from the legacy of David Vujic, one of the pioneers of the Apollo missions and a member of the ‘Serb Seven,’ a group of engineers and technicians whose contributions to NASA helped make the moon landing possible. In that spirit, we owe it to both our brave ancestors and our children to continue pushing forward toward new frontiers: to explore, to inspire each other. others and dare to do even greater things.”

By signing the Artemis Accords, nations open the door to opportunities for future lunar exploration with NASA, such as providing science and technology payloads for the U.S.-led lunar base and CubeSats for the upcoming Artemis missions, promoting humanity’s return to the Moon, and shaping the Golden Age of space exploration and innovation.

the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the United States, Dragan Šutanovac; the State Secretary of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of Serbia, Marija Gnjatović; and U.S. State Department Undersecretary for Oceans and International Scientific and Environmental Affairs Wesley Brooks participated in Serbia’s signing ceremony.

In 2020, NASA and the State Department joined seven other founding nations to establish the Artemis Accords, responding to growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies. They introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at improving safety and coordination among nations as they explore the Moon, Mars and beyond, committing nations to:

• explore peacefully and transparently
• provide help to those in need
• allow access to scientific data
• Ensure that activities do not interfere with those of others.
• preserve sites and artifacts of historical importance by developing best practices

Five years later, President Donald J. Trump’s National Space Policy directed NASA to establish a sustained lunar outpost. With this Lunar Base, NASA puts into practice the principles of the Artemis Accords, inviting all signatories to participate in the effort.

More countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the coming months and years, as NASA continues its work to establish a safe, peaceful and prosperous future in space.

Learn more about the Artemis Accords at:

https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords