Home / Galleries

Latvia becomes the 62nd country to join US-led Artemis Accords

Spaceflight Apr 21, 2026

BY PRANJAL PRANIT

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman shakes hands with Dace Melbārde, Latvia’s Minister for Education and Science, following a signing of the Artemis Accords, April 20, 2026.

Representatives from the Republic of Latvia, including Minister of Education and Science Dace Melbārde, agreed to join the Artemis Accords. These are a set of governing principles that outline an ideal of cooperative nature of space exploration for all member nations. The event, making the European nation the 62nd signatory, was held on April 20, 2026 at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

5 Photos

1 / 5

IMAGE SOURCE: JOEL KOWSKY | NASA

Latvia’s Minister for Education and Science signing the Artemis Accords

Dace Melbārde, Latvia’s Minister for Education and Science, signing the Artemis Accords on Monday, April 20, 2026, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington.

2 / 5

IMAGE SOURCE: JOEL KOWSKY | NASA

Chargé D’Affaires a.i. Jānis Beķeris at the Embassy of Latvia to the US

Jānis Beķeris, Chargé D’Affaires a.i. at the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia to the United States, was also present at the Artemis Accords signing event held in Washington, D.C.

3 / 5

IMAGE SOURCE: JOEL KOWSKY | NASA

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (left), shakes hands with Dace Melbārde, Latvia’s Minister for Education and Science

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (left), shakes hands with Latvia’s Minister for Education and Science Dace Melbārd after the signing of the Artemis Accords at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington on April 20, 2026.

4 / 5

IMAGE SOURCE: JOEL KOWSKY | NASA

Dignitaries from the US and Latvia seated at the Artemis Accords event

(From the left) U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, Latvia’s Minister for Education and Science Dace Melbārde, and Chargé D’Affaires a.i. Jānis Beķeris at the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia to the United States pose for a picture after the Artemis Accords were signed on Monday, April 20, 2026, at the Mary W. Jackson building in Washington.

5 / 5

IMAGE SOURCE: JOEL KOWSKY | NASA

Jānis Beķeris, Chargé D’Affaires a.i. at the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia to the United States, right,

Chargé D’Affaires a.i. Jānis Beķeris at the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia to the United States (right) has a word during the event held at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

MORE GALLERIES

Japan once dismissed UFOs. Now the government is investigating unexplained sightings seriously

NASA got closer to Jupiter’s Great Red Spot than ever before. See the stunning images

A NASA astronaut heard a mysterious “pulsing noise” inside Boeing’s Starliner. What was it?

What happens if a black hole comes too close to Earth? Physicists explain

Massive mass anomaly detected under Moon's largest crater—what is it?

What a U.S. intelligence officer under oath told Congress about UFOs

Scientists were tracking mysterious flashes from space—they may have finally found the origin

Is the bizarre hexagon on Saturn alien technology? Here's what NASA's images show

How will the universe end? From the Big Freeze to the Big Crunch, theories you need to know

One of Webb's biggest images yet hides the lightest "failed stars" ever found

Apollo 10 astronauts heard an eerie sound on the far side of the Moon. What was it?

Aliens or not? Harvard scientist Avi Loeb shares his thoughts on latest UFO files release

The curious case of the 'WTF Star': Why Tabby's Star still has scientists puzzled

Scientists finally captured an image of a giant black hole at the heart of our galaxy

SpaceX shares stunning new photos of Flight 14, Starship’s debut orbital mission

Is there a hidden ninth planet beyond Pluto? Here’s what scientists found

Unexplained lights keep appearing in this Norwegian valley. Is it a UFO or something else?

NASA lost the original Apollo 11 moon landing tapes, and here's how it happened

SpaceX Starship Flight 14: Striking images from the rocket's first orbital mission

Unsettling theories that could change how we see the universe