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.”
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.
Source: https://spaceinafrica.com/2026/04/29/morocco-becomes-africas-fifth-artemis-signatory/