Morocco Becomes Africa’s Fifth Artemis Signatory
Morocco has signed the Artemis Accords, becoming the 64th country in the world and the fifth African nation to join the U.S.-led framework governing the future of civil space exploration. The agreement was signed in Rabat by Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita during a meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who was on his first official visit to the kingdom.
“Today, we are delighted to see our alliance extend to space,” Landau told reporters at a joint press conference. “We can’t ask for a better partner than Morocco.”
A Milestone Framed in History
The signing took place during Landau’s broader North Africa tour and coincided with the 250th anniversary of U.S.-Moroccan diplomatic relations. Morocco was the first country to recognise American independence in 1777, and that history featured prominently in the ceremony’s framing.
For his part, Bourita also announced Morocco’s decision to join the U.S. Trade Over Aid initiative and highlighted growing economic ties between the two countries, noting that bilateral trade has increased sevenfold since the free trade agreement took effect. Morocco remains the only African country with a free trade agreement with the United States.
What Are the Artemis Accords?
The Artemis Accords are a set of non-binding international principles drafted by NASA and the U.S. Department of State in 2020, initially signed by eight founding nations: Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Accords are tied to the Artemis program, Washington’s flagship effort to return humans to the Moon and, eventually, reach Mars.
Countries that sign commit to a set of core principles: peaceful exploration, transparency about national space activities, sharing of scientific data, mutual emergency assistance, proper registration of space objects, protection of historically significant sites in space, and responsible management of orbital debris. Crucially, signing the Accords is voluntary, non-binding, and does not require a country to have an existing space programme or near-term plans to contribute to Artemis missions.
Africa’s Timeline in the Accords
Morocco is the fifth African country to sign, after:
- Nigeria and Rwanda (December 2022): The two nations signed together at the inaugural U.S.-Africa Space Forum in Washington, becoming the first African countries in the Accords, as the 22nd and 23rd signatories globally.
- Angola (December 2023): Angola signed during a White House visit by President João Lourenço, becoming the third African signatory.
- Senegal (July 2025): Senegal signed at a ceremony at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Senegal’s space agency chief Maram Kaïré described it as “a meaningful step in our space diplomacy.”
Morocco is now the fifth, and notably, unlike its predecessors, it signed not at a NASA ceremony or a multilateral summit, but bilaterally in its own capital, a distinction that underscores the diplomatic weight Rabat carries in its relationship with Washington.