5th May 2026
L-R: Chief of Staff in the Office of the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs William Cappelletti, Ambassador of the United States of America to Ireland Ed Walsh, Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke TD, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, and Ambassador of Ireland to the United States of America Geraldine Byrne Nason.At a ceremony at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., Ireland marked a significant milestone in space co-operation as the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke TD, formally signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of the Irish Government.
The Accords – which establish principles and best practice for international cooperation in the exploration of space – are a demonstration of Ireland’s commitment to multilateral co-operation with the US and other signatory States in an area of shared interest.
Signing the Artemis Accords signals Ireland’s commitment to a shared framework for peaceful, transparent, and responsible space exploration, particularly in relation to activities on the Moon and other celestial bodies.
Minister Burke stated,
“It is an honour for me today to sign the Artemis Accords on behalf of the Irish Government. It 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. It will also ensure that space activities are conducted in a peaceful and sustainable manner.”
Ireland’s space sector has experienced strong and sustained growth in recent years, reflected in an 80% increase in the number of Irish companies engaging with the European Space Agency (ESA) since 2019. This expansion has been accompanied by an expanding range of opportunities across research, commercial, and policy development domains, reinforcing Ireland’s position as a growing contributor to the global space ecosystem.
In signing the Accords, Ireland aligns itself with all other ESA Member States, all 23 of which have now endorsed the Artemis Accords.
Minister of State Alan Dillon TD, who has responsibility for Space Enterprise Policy, noted that
“Ireland signing the Artemis Accords provides a strong signal on the international stage of Ireland’s commitment to the peaceful and sustainable exploration of outer space. I am glad to join with fellow ESA Member States in progressing the Artemis Accords principles and further deepening our successful co-operation with US partners.”
Ends
Notes for Editors
- Led by the United States State Department and NASA, the Artemis Accords are a political agreement which seek to establish principles, guidelines, and best practices for international cooperation on space exploration.
- The Accords establish a set of guidelines, principles and best practice on civil activities in outer space, with a view to increasing the safety of operations, reducing uncertainty, and promoting the sustainable use of space for all. The Accords aim to achieve this through provisions on: transparency concerning space policies and plans, improved interoperability, emergency assistance, registration of space objects, open sharing of scientific data, the preservation of outer space heritage, extraction of space resources, cooperation on the de-confliction of space activities, and mitigation of space debris.
- Ireland’s space sector has experienced significant and sustained growth in recent years and has evolved into a dynamic and innovative industry with global relevance. This is underpinned by Ireland’s first National Space Strategy for Enterprise 2019 – 2025 coupled with greater investment in the ESA. This strategic investment has resulted in 80% growth in Irish companies engaging with ESA since 2019 as well as commercial contracts being won by Irish enterprises with established companies in the global space industry.
- Irish industrial capabilities in space technology are highly diverse – including structures, materials, microelectronics, photonics, telecommunications, and life sciences. Irish space and space-adjacent companies also operate in the downstream space market, developing ground-segment technologies, end-user equipment, and a growing range of services and applications that leverage space-based systems and data.
- Ireland is now one of 66 countries that have signed the Accords. All 23 member states of the European Space Agency have now joined the Accords.
- Ireland’s approach to the exploration and in space will continue to be led by our obligations under the Outer Space Treaty, ratified in 1968.
Back to Department News