On Thursday, September 24, 2026, in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire signed the Artemis agreements, becoming the 75th country to join this framework for cooperation dedicated to the peaceful exploration of space. The announcement was made by NASA following a ceremony held during the Africa Space Expo (ASPEX 2026).
The Ivorian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Adama Diawara, signed the document on behalf of the country. The American chargé d’affaires Junaid Munir attended the ceremony, according to the official NASA statement.
Common principles for the Moon and beyond
Created in 2020 by NASA, the U.S. Department of State, and seven founding countries, the Artemis Accords establish principles aimed at enhancing the safety, transparency, and coordination of civil space activities. They notably address peaceful exploration, assistance in case of distress, access to scientific data, prevention of interference between missions, and the protection of sites of historical interest.
The official Artemis Accords page confirms that Côte d’Ivoire became the 75th signatory on September 24. This membership does not mean that an Ivorian mission to the Moon has been announced. Rather, it places the country within a set of common principles and paves the way for future scientific and technical cooperation.
The Director General of the Côte d’Ivoire Space Agency, Tidiane Outtara, described this signing as an important step for Ivorian ambitions and, more broadly, for the member states of the African Union. For his part, NASA Deputy Director Matt Anderson highlighted the new opportunities for collaboration between scientists, engineers, and institutions from both countries.
A cooperation underway since 2019
NASA indicates that its exchanges with Côte d’Ivoire date back to 2019 in the fields of Earth observation and geodesy, a discipline that measures the shape, gravity, and movements of the planet.
The establishment of the Côte d’Ivoire Space Agency in 2025 then provided a national framework for activities related to Earth observation, space weather, astronomy, satellite navigation, and communications. Membership in the Artemis agreements extends this institutional strengthening.
