Ireland has formally signed up to the international cooperation framework for the exploration of space.
At a ceremony in NASA’s headquarters in Washington DC today, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke signed the Artemis Accords, which were first established in 2020.
They seek to create a set of principles and best practices for countries involved in the peaceful exploration of the moon and Mars, as well as comets and asteroids.
That includes provisions around emergency assistance, the extraction of resources, and the registration of objects.
Ireland is now one of 66 countries to sign up to the accords, bringing it in line with all other European Space Agency members.
It comes as Irish companies have seen a significant increase in revenue from space-related activities. In 2024, Irish firms secured €24m in ESA contracts – more than double the figure from 2023.
“[Signing the accords] is an important step in deepening Ireland’s engagement in the fast-developing space sector and one which will further support Ireland’s competitiveness on the international stage,” said Minister Burke. “It will also ensure that space activities are conducted in a peaceful and sustainable manner.”
