The accords "establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations, including those participating in NASA's Artemis program," according to NASA.

NASA says the Artemis Accords reinforce prior agreements regarding space exploration.

"The Artemis Accords reinforce and implement key obligations in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. They also reinforce the commitment by the United States and signatory nations to the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, as well as the best practices and norms of responsible behavior that NASA and its partners have supported," NASA says.

The Rescue and Return Agreement, which was passed by the U.N. General Assembly in 1967 and formalized in 1968, establishes the rule that spacefaring nations will "take all possible steps to rescue and assist astronauts in distress and promptly return them to the launching state."

At a signing ceremony at the Ecuadorian embassy in Washington, D.C., NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said, "Today, Ecuador joins the group of nations committed to safeguarding outer space for the future."

"The achievements made in this golden era of exploration will benefit the Artemis Generation -- in our nations and around the globe," Nelson continued.

Ecuadorian ambassador to the United States, Ivonne Baki, said that signing the accords shows Ecuador's commitment to future technological innovations.

"Signing the Artemis Accords sends a powerful message to the international community that the Ecuadorian government is committed to pursue cutting-edge efforts in technology and is open to innovation, investment, workforce development to promote sustainable growth, and international collaboration to help solve humanity's greatest challenges," said Baki.

The Artemis program intends to return humans to the moon, with the goal of perfecting space travel to eventually land humans on Mars.

"With Artemis missions, NASA will land the first woman and the first person of color on the moon, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before," NASA says of the Artemis mission.

"We will collaborate with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the moon. Then we will use what we learn on and around the moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars," NASA says.

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