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Portugal becomes 60th signatory to the Artemis Accords

Portugal formally signed the Artemis Accords in Lisbon on Jan. 12, becoming the 60th nation to endorse the U.S.-led framework for responsible lunar exploration. The ceremony included Hugo Costa, executive director of the Portuguese Space Agency, and U.S. Ambassador John J. Arrigo.

Discovered 2026-01-12T10:56:23.271814-08:00 | 2026-01-12T10:56:23.271814-08:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

Portugal’s accession makes it the 60th signatory to the Artemis Accords, expanding the multilateral framework for transparency, interoperability and norms for lunar activities; see the Accords' by‑the‑numbers for signatory context ([source:d77e0eb7-ee1a-41de-ad95-f2849fc59315]).
The signing follows Portugal’s decision to double its European Space Agency contributions, a recent step that signals increased national investment and potential industrial participation in ESA and lunar-related programmes ([source:0c82231c-e886-4267-9e11-3c2701056356]).
Portugal’s role in European launch access is growing after the Azores (Santa Maria) was selected as a European launch base in a multi-launch site agreement, increasing the country’s strategic footprint in regional launch infrastructure ([source:d7dc7572-e0e0-4442-a073-fbdd4f0c222e]).

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