Djibouti joins Artemis Accords as 72nd participating nation
Djibouti signed the Artemis Accords on September 14, 2026, becoming the 72nd country to commit to the principles of peaceful and transparent space exploration. NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson hosted the ceremony with Djibouti's ambassador at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The accord reinforces international cooperation in lunar and beyond-Earth missions.
The signing ceremony took place at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., with NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson hosting Djibouti's ambassador. The event followed a NASA media invitation issued days earlier, and the agency's related announcements emphasize that scientific data from Moon rock samples, lunar datasets, and Artemis program discoveries will be shared openly with the global scientific community—a commitment upheld by all signatory nations.
Djibouti's participation extends the accords' reach to 72 countries, building on a framework that also supports NASA's broader lunar ambitions, including the agency's Moon Base program aimed at establishing a long-term human presence on the lunar surface. The accords continue to grow alongside active missions, including the Expedition 75 crew aboard the International Space Station and upcoming Crew-12 operations.
This expansion of the Artemis Accords could strengthen international scientific collaboration by bringing more nations into shared lunar research and data-sharing frameworks. Smaller countries like Djibouti may gain access to training, technology partnerships, and participation in space-related economic opportunities that were previously limited to major spacefaring nations. The growing signatory list may also reinforce norms for peaceful, transparent space activity as more countries and private entities pursue lunar missions, potentially shaping how future space governance evolves.