Croatia Signs Artemis Accords, Becomes 74th Signatory

Croatia signed the Artemis Accords on Wednesday, September 23, at the building of the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth in Zagreb, becoming the 74th country to join the international framework for peaceful civilian exploration of the Moon, Mars, comets and asteroids. The agreement was signed on behalf of the Croatian government by Minister of Science, Education and Youth Radovan Fuchs, with the ceremony attended by US Ambassador to Croatia Nicole McGraw, NASA’s representative for Europe Gregory Mann, and Hrvoje Mestric, director of the ministry’s Directorate for Science and Technology.

Croatia’s signature came just two days after Albania, which became the 73rd signatory on September 21 at NASA headquarters in Washington, with the signature of Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Ferit Hodza. Serbia, according to official NASA data, had signed the agreement earlier, on July 16, 2026, at the same Washington headquarters, becoming the 69th signatory country. Serbia’s signature was affixed by Foreign Minister Marko Djuric, with Ambassador Dragan Sutanovac and Marija Gnjatovic, State Secretary for Science, Technological Development and Innovation, also present. Marking the occasion, Djuric said, according to a NASA statement:

“We come from a people of great minds like Nikola Tesla and Milutin Milankovic, but also from the legacy of David Vujic, one of the pioneers of the Apollo missions.”

The United States and seven founding nations established the Artemis Accords in 2020, in response to growing interest from governments and private companies in activities on the Moon. More than 70 countries have signed it to date. At the Zagreb ceremony, NASA’s representative for Europe, Gregory Mann, said:

“Signing the agreement means exploring peacefully and transparently, providing assistance, ensuring free access to scientific data from which all of humanity can learn, and preserving our heritage.”

Mann added that “this is one small step for Croatia, but one giant leap toward our future as humanity in deep space,” recalling that US President Donald Trump signed an executive order in December 2025 directing NASA to return Americans to the Moon by 2028, with a permanent base whose first elements should be in place by 2030.

Minister Fuchs said he expects “a fine cooperation and the development of a space research program in Croatia with the assistance of the most advanced scientific nations, as well as of the Artemis program itself.” Asked about domestic capacity, he assessed that Croatia is strong in computer science, software and satellite data analysis, but weaker in manufacturing and hardware. Croatia also announced it will take part in the International Astronautical Congress in Istanbul next month, where representatives of all signatory countries gather.

US Ambassador Nicole McGraw said:

“The United States believes international cooperation is key to achieving these ambitious goals. We need partners like Croatia, who bring the most advanced technologies, scientific expertise and new perspectives.”

What ESA participating state status brings Croatia

Director Hrvoje Mestric said that through its status as a participating state of the European Space Agency, Croatian companies and scientists have so far been approved for more than 70 projects worth a combined nine million euros. Croatia has invested more than ten million euros in the agency to date, with another call worth two million euros currently open. About half of those projects concern Earth observation and satellites, while the rest cover data processing, cybersecurity, agriculture, tourism and environmental protection.

What the signature actually brings Croatian companies

The signing of the Artemis Accords itself, however, brings no contracts or money to Croatia’s space industry. Daniela Jovic, mission manager for CroCube, Croatia’s first satellite, launched on December 21, 2024 on a Falcon 9 rocket, summed it up for Bug.hr this way:

“Croatian companies will not receive funding because of the signature. They will not get NASA contracts. They will not get a slot for their payload on a mission. No new program is created for Croatian industry. We do not automatically gain access to Artemis missions or industrial returns. What we do get is entry into the group of countries that have accepted shared principles of space exploration, the ability to take part in discussions among signatory states, and an additional institutional channel to NASA and other partners.”

Croatia, alongside the Artemis Accords, has also not yet joined the 1975 Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space or the 1979 Moon Agreement, two of the five core United Nations space treaties. The signature itself is, in other words, a political and diplomatic framework for future cooperation, not a guarantee of concrete business for the domestic industry.