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May 3 (UPI) -- The Czech Republic on Wednesday became the 24th country to sign NASA's Artemis Accords, a set of principles for countries participating in the American space program to return astronauts to the moon. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský signed the agreement at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., Wednesday.
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The non-binding agreement establishes a set of guidelines to guide cooperation when it comes to space exploration in the Artemis Program.
"The Artemis Accords guide us towards a future of optimism and promise," said Jennifer Littlejohn, acting assistant secretary of State for oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs.
In a statement, she said, "They encourage cooperation and responsible behavior in space. This is a vital foundation for space exploration. Congratulations to the Czech Republic."
The list was first established in 2020, signed by the United States, Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, United Arab Emirates and Britain.
"I see it as a historic signature. We are joining our like minded partners in advancing peaceful, cooperative, and sustainable exploration of space," Lipavský said in a statement.
"Czechia's space ecosystem has a lot to offer. We believe that this signature will kick-start the development of an institutional and industrial cooperation within the Artemis community, as well as directly between Czechia and the U.S., in the field of space activities."
More countries are expected to sign on to the accord in the coming months, NASA said Wednesday.
Last month, the space agency announced the four-person crew to fly the Artemis II mission, which will orbit the moon.
The astronauts are scheduled to fly by the moon aboard NASA's Orion spacecraft before returning to Earth in the mission's most critical phase so far. The mission, which is slated to last 10 days, could lift off sometime next year.
