Djibouti joins Artemis Accords as 72nd signatory

Djibouti has become the 72nd nation to sign the Artemis Accords, joining a diplomatic framework established by the United States to govern civil space exploration. The signing ceremony took place at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C., attended by NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia.

Djibouti's Ambassador to the United States, Mohamed Siad Douale, signed the document on behalf of the country. Djibouti is the eighth African nation to join the coalition. The Accords, which originated in 2020, establish a set of principles for space activities on the Moon, Mars, and beyond, focusing on transparency, interoperability, and peaceful use.

While Djibouti does not currently have a lunar module or large-scale satellite constellations in development, the nation has an active space program managed by the Djibouti Center for Studies and Research (CERD). The country successfully placed two satellites, Djibouti 1A and 1B, into orbit in 2023 and 2024 via Falcon 9 rockets.