NASA Welcomes Djibouti as Newest Artemis Accords Signatory
The Republic of Djibouti became the 72nd nation and eighth African country to sign the Artemis Accords during a Monday ceremony at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Ambassador of Djibouti to the United States Mohamed Siad Douale signed on behalf of Djibouti, and U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Frank Garcia also participated. NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson hosted the ceremony.
The Artemis Accords are the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing transparency, safety, and coordination among nations exploring the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Anderson said Djibouti joins a coalition of like-minded nations at an important time, noting that President Trump has directed NASA to return Americans to the lunar surface, establish an enduring presence, and lay the foundation for human exploration of Mars. He added that NASA will lead but will not do it alone, and is creating opportunities for Artemis Accords nations to contribute hardware, scientific payloads, technology demonstrations, CubeSats, and other capabilities to future missions.
Djibouti's national space program, launched in 2020 and managed by the Centre for Studies and Research of Djibouti within the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, has steadily expanded its technical capabilities. The nation successfully launched its first satellites, Djibouti 1A and Djibouti 1B, in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Both reached orbit aboard American Falcon 9 rockets launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, an early example of how the U.S. is supporting Djibouti capabilities in space.
Douale said joining the Artemis Accords seeks to deepen Djibouti's partnership with the United States and the growing community of nations committed to peaceful space cooperation. He added that Djibouti looks forward to building partnerships in scientific research, satellite applications, education, and technical training, while creating new opportunities for Djibouti students, researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs. In 2020, NASA and the State Department joined with seven other founding nations to establish the Artemis Accords, responding to growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies. Signatories commit to explore peaceably and transparently, render aid to those in need, enable access to scientific data, ensure activities do not interfere with those of others, and preserve historically significant sites and artifacts by developing best practices.
By signing the Artemis Accords, nations open the door to opportunities for future lunar exploration with NASA, advancing humanity's return to the Moon and shaping what NASA calls the Golden Age of space exploration and innovation. More information is available at https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords.