Senegal Becomes the Fourth African Nation to Sign NASA’s Artemis Accords
Senegal has officially joined the Artemis Accords, marked by a signing ceremony held at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., on July 4, 2025. The event brought together key representatives from both NASA and Senegal, including Brian Hughes, NASA Chief of Staff; Department of State Bureau of African Affairs Senior Bureau Official Jonathan Pratt; Maram Kairé, Director-General of the Senegalese Space Agency (ASES); and Abdoul Wahab Haidara, Senegal’s Ambassador to the United States. With this signing, Senegal becomes the 56th country to endorse the Accords globally, and the fourth African nation to do so, following Angola’s signing in December 2023, as well as Nigeria and Rwanda in December 2022.
Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy said the signing of the Artemis Accords followed a meeting between President Faye and President Trump, and reflected the strong relationship between the two nations. The Artemis Accords signing ceremony took place two weeks after President Trump’s meeting in Washington with Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and other African countries, focusing on U.S.-Africa engagement.
“Senegal’s adherence to the Artemis Accords reflects our commitment to a multilateral, responsible, and transparent approach to space. This signature marks a meaningful step in our space diplomacy and in our ambition to contribute to the peaceful exploration of outer space,” noted Maram Kairé, Director-General of the Senegalese Space Agency (ASES).
The Dynamics of International Lunar Exploration Agreements
As global efforts for lunar exploration accelerate, two major international frameworks have emerged to shape the landscape: NASA’s Artemis Accords and the China-led International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). Senegal’s recent decision to sign the Artemis Accords signals a dynamic move, making it the second country, after Thailand, to participate in both initiatives. Thailand first joined the ILRS and later signed the Artemis Accords in November 2024. While U.S. officials have emphasised that the Artemis Accords are open to all nations and do not require countries to choose between the two frameworks, only two states to date have elected to engage with both.
The International Lunar Research Station is an initiative spearheaded by China to build a scientific station on the Moon’s south pole by 2035. The ILRS has more than a dozen members. With this, several African nations have joined the ILRS project, including Egypt, South Africa and Ethiopia. Additionally, organisations such as the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO), the African Space Development Foundation and the African Business Alliance signed the “Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the International Lunar Research Station” with the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory.
The Artemis Programme
The Artemis Accords serve as a multilateral framework grounded in the principles of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. Developed by NASA in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State, the Accords aim to promote a safe, transparent, and cooperative environment for space exploration. They outline core principles for peaceful activity beyond Earth, including the responsible use of space resources, the mitigation of space debris, the preservation of heritage sites, and the open sharing of scientific data. By signing the Artemis Accords, Senegal affirms its commitment to these norms and joins a growing international coalition dedicated to ensuring that future space activities, whether scientific, exploratory, or commercial, are conducted for the collective benefit of humanity.
The Artemis Accords align with the objectives of NASA’s Artemis programme, which focuses on returning humans to the Moon and establishing a long-term presence on the lunar surface, with the ultimate goal of preparing for future missions to Mars. While the Artemis programme outlines the mission and technical roadmap, the Accords provide a framework for international cooperation based on transparency, the peaceful use of space, and responsible conduct in space. Together, they reflect a commitment to advancing exploration in a manner that supports shared interests and upholds established principles of space governance.