Albania has become the 73rd country to join the US Artemis lunar programme, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced on September 23, 2026.
The agreement expands space exploration partnership between the United States and the Balkan nation of Albania as international participation in the lunar initiative continues to grow.
Matt Anderson, the Deputy Administrator of the US space agency NASA, stated that diplomatic relations between the two countries count more than a century. He said that the two nations are now expanding that historic partnership into outer space.
The Artemis programme is an international space exploration initiative led by NASA in cooperation with global partners. The effort aims to land astronauts on the lunar surface, establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon, and build the technological foundation for future human missions to Mars.
Regional adoption in Southern Europe
Albania is one of several countries in Southeastern Europe to join the US-led effort in recent months. Prior to Albania signing on, Turkey became the 71st nation to join the Artemis lunar programme, according to a report by SpaceNews, a publication covering the global space and satellite industries.
In July 2026, the US State Department announced that Serbia had become the 69th country to join the Artemis initiative. The US State Department, which oversees foreign policy and international diplomacy for the US government, has regularly reported new international signatories as the program expands worldwide.
International space cooperation
NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, serves as the primary civil space agency of the US federal government. Albania, a nation located on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe, has maintained official diplomatic ties with Washington for over a century, providing the foundation for their new space partnership.
Following the addition of Albania as the 73rd member nation, NASA is continuing its efforts to expand the international alliance supporting space science and lunar exploration.
