Côte d'Ivoire Signs NASA's Artemis Accords, Becoming 75th Nation in the Coalition

Côte d'Ivoire became the 75th nation to sign NASA's Artemis Accords on Thursday in Abidjan, committing to peaceful and transparent exploration of the Moon and Mars and expanding scientific cooperation with the United States, NASA said.

Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Adama Diawara signed on behalf of Côte d'Ivoire during a ceremony at Africa Space Expo ASPEX 2026, according to NASA's account of the event. Chargé d'affaires Junaid Munir from the U.S. Department of State witnessed the signing.

NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson spoke at the ceremony. "The United States and Côte d'Ivoire already cooperate on Earth," Anderson said. "Today, we expand that partnership beyond it." He added that the signing opens new opportunities for scientists, engineers, and institutions from both countries to work together as NASA presses toward a return to the Moon.

Tidiane Outtara, Director General of the Space Agency of Côte d'Ivoire, called the signing significant beyond his country's borders. "This is a great achievement, and important for Côte d'Ivoire's ambitions and for the rest of the African Union members," Outtara said, according to NASA.

The Artemis Accords are a set of practical principles that NASA and the U.S. State Department established in 2020 alongside seven other founding nations, NASA says. They were written in response to growing interest in lunar activity from both governments and private companies. Nations that sign commit to exploring space peaceably and transparently, rendering aid to those in need, sharing scientific data, avoiding interference with other nations' activities, and developing practices to preserve historically significant sites and artifacts.

Côte d'Ivoire is not new to working with NASA. Since 2019, the country's National Office of Technical Development and NASA have collaborated on Earth observation and geodesy, the science of measuring Earth's shape, gravity, and movement, according to NASA. That partnership has contributed to global geodetic networks and improved space-based measurement techniques. Côte d'Ivoire then established its own Space Agency in 2025 to coordinate national efforts in Earth observation, space weather, astronomy, satellite navigation, and communications, NASA said.

The detail worth noting: the signing happened not at a diplomatic capital but at a regional space industry event, Africa Space Expo ASPEX 2026, held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire's largest city.

The Artemis Accords have grown steadily since 2020. Croatia signed as the 74th signatory on September 23, NASA announced, and Albania signed as the 73rd on September 21. Three nations joined in the span of four days.

What is not yet in the record is what specific missions or programs Côte d'Ivoire's institutions will participate in as a result of the signing.

The full text of the Artemis Accords and the current list of signatories are available at nasa.gov/artemis-accords.

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