Leaders from NASA and international partners have reaffirmed their commitment to the Artemis Accords during a meeting held in Sydney, Australia, as part of the 76th International Astronautical Congress. The gathering marked a significant milestone for the five-year-old set of principles designed to guide responsible exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy highlighted the anniversary of the accords next month, emphasizing their importance in setting rules for space exploration and ensuring it remains peaceful. "When President Trump launched the Artemis Accords in his first term, he made sure American values would lead the way... After five years, the coalition is stronger than ever," Duffy said. "This is critical as we seek to beat China to the Moon, not just to leave footprints, but this time to stay."
The United States, along with seven other founding nations, signed the accords in 2020, which now have 56 country signatories – nearly 30% of the world's countries. The event was co-chaired by NASA, the Australian Space Agency, and the UAE Space Agency, bringing together dozens of nations.
Australian Head of Space Agency Enrico Palermo emphasized Australia's commitment to supporting new signatories in the Indo-Pacific region and reiterated the importance of peaceful, safe, and sustainable space exploration. "The purpose of the accords is as important – if not more important – as it was when first established... This annual gathering of principals at IAC 2025 is a key opportunity to reaffirm our collective commitment."
Leaders discussed various recommendations, including non-interference in each other's space activities and the release of scientific data. The UAE Minister of Sports and Chairman of UAE Space Agency Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi highlighted his country's commitment to international cooperation and promoting peaceful use of space.
As countries continue to sign the Artemis Accords, NASA is working towards establishing a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space.
Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy highlighted the anniversary of the accords next month, emphasizing their importance in setting rules for space exploration and ensuring it remains peaceful. "When President Trump launched the Artemis Accords in his first term, he made sure American values would lead the way... After five years, the coalition is stronger than ever," Duffy said. "This is critical as we seek to beat China to the Moon, not just to leave footprints, but this time to stay."
The United States, along with seven other founding nations, signed the accords in 2020, which now have 56 country signatories – nearly 30% of the world's countries. The event was co-chaired by NASA, the Australian Space Agency, and the UAE Space Agency, bringing together dozens of nations.
Australian Head of Space Agency Enrico Palermo emphasized Australia's commitment to supporting new signatories in the Indo-Pacific region and reiterated the importance of peaceful, safe, and sustainable space exploration. "The purpose of the accords is as important – if not more important – as it was when first established... This annual gathering of principals at IAC 2025 is a key opportunity to reaffirm our collective commitment."
Leaders discussed various recommendations, including non-interference in each other's space activities and the release of scientific data. The UAE Minister of Sports and Chairman of UAE Space Agency Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi highlighted his country's commitment to international cooperation and promoting peaceful use of space.
As countries continue to sign the Artemis Accords, NASA is working towards establishing a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space.
. anywayz, gotta say its pretty cool that nearly 30% of the world's countries are on board with this whole peaceful space exploration vibe 
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, no more space wars, just everyone chillin' and exploring together 
. but for real tho, its great that australia is stepping up their game by supporting new signatories in the indo-pacific region 
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. still, its all good that there's some progress being made and people are committed to making space exploration a positive thing 
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. And I'm glad they're emphasizing American values, but also acknowledging that everyone's got their own approach, which is cool, I guess 
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. China's been making some big moves lately, and we don't know what they're planning. So, while it's awesome that we've got the Artemis Accords, let's not get too caught up in the hype... there's still a lot of work to be done 
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. It's great to see them stepping up and taking an active role in promoting international cooperation and peaceful space exploration 
. Maybe this is the start of something beautiful... or maybe it'll all fall apart 
. Either way, I'm hyped to see what happens next! 
It's like, they're saying we need rules for exploring space so it doesn't turn into some crazy war zone 
I mean, China is already making moves on the Moon, and if we don't have a framework in place, it could get ugly 
!
) - that's like, almost 30% of the world's countries! It's so cool to see all these nations coming together for peaceful space exploration. I mean, can you imagine a future where humans are exploring Mars and leaving footprints 
? Sean Duffy's quote about American values leading the way is everything 
I remember when Elon was first talking about Mars colonization back in 2013, it's crazy how far we've come since then! The Artemis Accords are a great start, but I wish they included more guidelines for dealing with space debris, you know? It's like we're just leaving trash up there without thinking about the consequences. Anyway, I'm glad to see countries coming together on this and not just focusing on beating China to the Moon (although, let's be real, it's a big deal). I hope we can make some real progress in the next 5 years or so...
I'm glad to see the US & international partners pushing for a sustainable space future 
! Five years ago, it was a great start, but now it's awesome to see so many countries coming together for sustainable space exploration 
! We need to make sure that we're not just racing to the Moon, but also thinking about our long-term responsibilities towards the cosmos 
]
. i mean, think about it - space exploration is still a relatively new thing, and we're already having conversations about rules and guidelines for it. that's some next-level thinking right there! 
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. Five years in and it's already got 56 countries on board (no pun intended). I'm glad the US is leading the charge with its "American values" 
. Australia and the UAE are co-hosting this shindig, so I suppose that's a plus 
. It's all about cooperation now, and I'm here for it (mostly) 
. The fact that the UAE is all about international cooperation and promoting peaceful use of space is super cool