Norway Becomes 55th Signatory of Artemis Accords
On May 15, 2025, Norway signed the Artemis Accords, promoting responsible space exploration. Cecilie Myrseth, Norway's trade minister, signed at an event in Oslo. She emphasized Norway's role in fostering international cooperation for peaceful space use.
Norway is the 55th country to sign the Accords since 2020, following principles from the Outer Space Treaty on transparency, data sharing, and resource utilization. This year, Norway is the third country after Finland and Bangladesh to sign without NASA involvement. Despite fewer countries joining in 2024, ongoing signings show steady support. Janet Petro, NASA’s acting administrator, welcomed Norway's contribution to future exploration efforts.
The addition of new signatories coincides with potential cuts in the fiscal year 2026 budget proposal, possibly affecting projects like Gateway and the Orion spacecraft service module. Former NASA chief economist Alex MacDonald highlighted Gateway's importance in international partnerships, questioning how partners will continue their involvement if Congress cancels the project.