Five years after the initial signing, the Artemis Accords are still guiding a growing number of countries on space exploration conduct. October 13 marked the anniversary of the initial signing by the United States, Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. These nations were the first to agree on the document that sets the norms for behavior in space.
The anniversary wasn't celebrated with much publicity, largely due to the U.S. government shutdown impacting NASA's public communications. However, Acting Administrator Sean Duffy acknowledged the anniversary on social media, stating: “Together, we’re committed to peaceful, safe and transparent exploration of the moon and beyond.”
The number of signatory nations has increased sevenfold to 56. Senegal was the latest to join on July 24. Representatives from 39 of these nations convened on September 29 at the International Astronautical Congress in Sydney, Australia. The meeting, led by Australia, the UAE, and the United States, addressed topics like safety zones and interoperability. Amit Kshatriya, NASA’s associate administrator, noted the importance of these discussions, stating: “As we get closer to returning to the moon at the beginning of next year with humans for the first time since 1972, it’s more and more important that the topics we discussed were on the table.”
A major topic was noninterference, according to Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, a UAE government minister. He explained the need for clarification around “safety zones” and “harmful interference”. The meeting explored scenarios involving both Accords members and non-members, but details weren't shared. Kshatriya noted progress on open scientific data sharing, stating NASA plans a workshop within the next year emphasizing transparency.
Enrico Palermo, head of the Australian Space Agency, addressed the issue of orbital debris around the moon. “On Earth, we have an atmosphere where objects can reenter and demise. We don’t have that on the moon, and we also don’t have as many stable orbits,” he said, highlighting the importance of preserving lunar orbits.
Encouraging more nations to join the Accords is also a priority. “We want more people to join us and explore with us,” said Kshatriya. Al Falasi added that a workshop in Peru will explore how to enable all signatories to actively participate. “We want to have a very well-defined way that enables these countries to contribute.”
The lack of public information on Accords discussions remains a concern. When asked about a formal summary, Al Falasi said NASA is responsible. Kshatriya promised an update “as soon as we consolidate the recommendations and publish a plan for the next workshop” in Peru.