NASA Celebrates Five Years of Artemis Accords with New Signatories
In October, NASA celebrates five years since the signing of the Artemis Accords by the original founding nations. This milestone also marks the addition of three new countries—Hungary, Malaysia, and the Philippines—to the growing coalition dedicated to peaceful space exploration. With these latest signatories, the total number of countries involved in the Artemis Accords now stands at 59.
Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy expressed enthusiasm about the new members, stating that their participation strengthens the global commitment to responsible exploration. He emphasized that signing the Artemis Accords reflects a shared dedication to safe, transparent, and peaceful space activities. This commitment is especially important at a time when some seek to militarize space. Together, the coalition is laying the groundwork for what NASA calls the Golden Age of space exploration.
Expanding International Commitment to Peaceful Space Exploration
Malaysia and the Philippines signed the Artemis Accords during President Trump’s visit to Kuala Lumpur for the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit. The White House announced these signings on October 26. Meanwhile, Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó signed the accords on October 22 during an official visit to Washington, ahead of a meeting between President Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Hungary’s signing came shortly after Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu flew to space as part of the NASA-supported Axiom Mission 4 crew. Kapu spent about two weeks aboard the International Space Station conducting scientific research, outreach, and commercial activities alongside NASA astronauts. This milestone highlights Hungary’s growing involvement in space exploration.
Five Years of Progress and Growing Global Cooperation
The Artemis Accords were first established on October 13, 2020, during the Trump Administration. NASA and the U.S. Department of State led the effort, joining seven other founding nations in response to increasing interest in lunar activities from governments and private companies alike.
Since then, the Artemis Accords have expanded into a broad international coalition. What began with just a few founding countries has grown significantly, with seven new nations signing in 2025 alone. This surge in participation demonstrates a rising global commitment to ensuring a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space.
In September, NASA co-chaired the Artemis Accords Principals’ Meeting in Sydney alongside the space agencies of Australia and the United Arab Emirates. The meeting gathered dozens of signatory nations to deepen dialogue and reinforce shared commitments to the sustainable and responsible use of space. Key topics discussed included non-interference in each other’s space activities, transparency regarding launch dates and mission details, orbital debris mitigation, system interoperability for safer operations, and the release of scientific data.
At the meeting, NASA announced plans to host an Artemis Accords workshop in 2026 focused on transparency and data sharing among signatories. Since the accords were established, NASA has taken additional steps to release more information about lunar missions, promoting openness and preventing harmful interference in space activities.
The progress made by the Artemis Accords signatories and their ongoing dedication to implementing the accords’ principles are crucial for advancing sustainable exploration of the Moon under the Artemis program, as well as future missions to Mars and beyond. Following a call to signatories, four CubeSats from South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, and Germany will fly on the upcoming Artemis II mission.
More nations are expected to join the Artemis Accords in the coming months and years as NASA and its partners continue to promote the accords’ principles and expand international cooperation in space exploration.
For more information about the Artemis Accords, visit NASA’s official page at https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords.
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Source: original article.