Finland has officially signed the Artemis Accords, becoming the 53rd country to commit to peaceful and co-operative space exploration.
The signing took place during the 2025 Winter Satellite Workshop in Espoo and was an important step in Finland’s participation in global space initiatives.
Wille Rydman, Finland’s Minister of Economic Affairs, signed the agreement on behalf of the country, recognising Finland’s decades-long contribution to space technology and research. Finnish companies and institutions known for their innovations in earth observation and navigation will benefit from the expanded international partnership within Artemis framework. Rydman said:
“By joining the Artemis agreements, we are strengthening our ties with the United States and other allies. This partnership will open new opportunities for Finland’s space sector within the Artemis programme and beyond.”
NASA Deputy Administrator Jim Free praised Finland’s commitment. He said:
“Finland’s expertise in science and technology, especially in navigation and earth observation, makes it a valuable partner. Together, we can advance our shared goals for the Artemis Generation.”
Finland has a long history of co-operation with NASA, including supplying pressure and humidity sensors for the Curiosity rover on Mars. Finland’s Nokia is also contributing to the Artemis programme by developing an LTE/4G lunar communications system that will be deployed as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.
The Artemis Accords is an international agreement between the governments of the countries participating in the Artemis programme to explore and use the moon, comets and asteroids for peaceful purposes.
The document is related to the American lunar programme announced by NASA back in 2012. It was named in honour of Artemis, the goddess of the moon among the ancient Greeks.
On October 13, 2020, the agreements were signed by the directors of eight national space agencies: the United States, Australia, Britain, Italy, Canada, Japan, Luxembourg, UAE and the United Kingdom. The agreements were later joined by Bahrain, Brazil, Colombia, France, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Singapore, South Korea, Ukraine and France.