Bangladesh Joins NASA’s ‘Artemis Accords’ as 54th Signatory

Bangladesh has become the 54th country to sign the Artemis Accords, a NASA-led initiative aimed at fostering peaceful and cooperative space exploration.

The Accords, established in October 2020, outline a set of non-binding principles to ensure transparency, sustainability, and responsible behavior in civil space activities.

Defence Secretary Md Ashraf Uddin signed the agreement on Tuesday at a city hotel, in the presence of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun and US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Tracey Ann Jacobson.

With this move, Bangladesh has aligned itself with global efforts to advance scientific discovery, safeguard space heritage, and responsibly utilize space resources — contributing to the country's broader development ambitions.

“This signing marks the beginning of a new chapter in space research collaboration between Bangladesh and the United States,” said BIDA Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik. He added that the agreement would accelerate Bangladesh’s space research activities.

Defence Secretary Ashraf Uddin explained that the Accords are built on established international frameworks, including the Outer Space Treaty, the Registration Convention, and the Agreement on the Rescue and Return of Astronauts. "The Accords provide a practical set of guidelines to ensure safe, transparent, and sustainable civil space exploration," he noted.

Highlighting Bangladesh’s long-standing commitment to peaceful space activities, he said, “Bangladesh established SPARRSO in 1980 to promote space science and technology, and has since adhered to international norms for the peaceful use of outer space.”

By joining the Artemis Accords, Bangladesh is poised to benefit from technology transfer, economic cooperation, and scientific partnerships. "This opens new avenues for collaboration between SPARRSO and NASA, significantly enhancing SPARRSO’s capabilities to pursue advanced space missions," Ashraf Uddin added.

As of January 21, 2025, 53 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, India, the UAE, Australia, and several European and Latin American nations, had already joined the Accords. Bangladesh now joins this prestigious international space alliance.