Djibouti Becomes 72nd Country to Sign NASA’s Artemis Accords

Djibouti has become the 72nd country—and the eighth in Africa—to sign the Artemis Accords, an agreement promoting safe, transparent and coordinated exploration of the Moon, Mars and beyond.

The signing ceremony took place Monday at NASA Headquarters in Washington. NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson hosted the event.

“Djibouti joins a coalition of like-minded nations at a critical time,” said Anderson. “President Trump has directed NASA to return Americans to the Moon, establish a durable presence, and lay the foundation for human exploration of Mars. NASA will lead, but we will not do it alone. We are creating opportunities for Artemis Accord countries to contribute hardware, science payloads, technology demonstrations, CubeSats, and other capabilities to future missions.”

Djibouti Expands Its Space Program

Djibouti Ambassador to the United States Mohamed Siad Doual signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of Djibouti. Frank Garcia, U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs, also attended the ceremony.

Djibouti’s national space program was launched in 2020 and is managed by the Djibouti Research Center within the Ministry of Higher Education and Research. Since then, the country has steadily expanded its technological capabilities.

Djibouti successfully launched its first satellites, Djibouti 1A and Djibouti 1B, in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Both satellites reached orbit aboard an American Falcon 9 rocket launched from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base. The missions were an early example of U.S. support for Djibouti’s space capabilities.

“By joining the Artemis Accord, Djibouti is deepening its partnership with the United States and a growing number of nations committed to peaceful space cooperation,” said Douard. “We look forward to building partnerships in scientific research, satellite applications, education and technical training, while creating new opportunities for Djibouti students, researchers, engineers and entrepreneurs.”

What Are the Artemis Accords?

NASA and the U.S. State Department established the Artemis Accords in 2020 with seven other founding nations. The framework was created in response to growing interest in lunar activities by governments and private companies.

The Artemis Accords commit participating countries to:

• Explore space peacefully and transparently
• Provide aid to those in need
• Enable access to scientific data
• Avoid interfering with the activities of other countries
• Develop best practices to preserve historically significant sites and artifacts

Djibouti’s Role in Future Lunar Exploration

By signing the Artemis Accords, Djibouti has opened the door to future lunar exploration opportunities with NASA. The agreement also supports greater cooperation in scientific research, satellite applications, education and technical training.

Djibouti’s participation adds another African nation to the international coalition working to advance humanity’s return to the Moon and shape a new era of space exploration and innovation.

For more information on the Artemis Accords, see the resources below.

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