JAKARTA - Portugal became the next country to join the Artemis Agreement. The country confirmed its support for NASA's efforts to explore the Moon and Mars on Monday, January 12.
The signing of this cooperation was carried out on January 11, 2026 by the Secretary of State for Science and Innovation of Portugal, Helena Canhão. This inauguration was carried out when the US government visited Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, to discuss partnerships.
NASA Administrator, Jared Isaacman, welcomed Portugal's participation. Now, the alliance supporting space exploration is officially supported by 60 countries. According to Isaacman, Portugal's participation in this exploration will help NASA reveal the secrets of the universe.
"2026 is the year in which humans will return to the Moon and mark the beginning of a new era of space exploration," said Hugo Costa, Executive Director of the Portuguese Space Agency. "Portugal and the Portuguese Space Agency are proud to join the Artemis Agreement and contribute to the sustainable use of space."
Through this agreement, Portugal is committed to supporting peaceful exploration efforts and providing emergency assistance to those in need. In addition, like other countries, Portugal will ensure that all scientific data from NASA's Moon and Mars exploration projects can be freely accessed by anyone.
On the other hand, the US Ambassador to Portugal, John J. Arrigo, who was present at the signing ceremony for the Artemis Agreement, assessed that this partnership is very important for space sustainability. During the program, good coordination is considered very necessary.
The addition of Portugal is expected to encourage more countries to join the Artemis Agreement. NASA will continue to open partnership opportunities even though the space agency is currently preparing for the launch of Artemis 2, the first attempt to reach the Moon.
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