Morocco Becomes 64th Signatory to the Artemis Accords

Overview

• Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita signed the nonbinding pact in Rabat, with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Ambassador Duke Buchan III witnessing.
• The State Department said the move reflects the strength of the U.S.-Morocco partnership and shows Morocco’s commitment to responsible space activity.
• Morocco’s accession brings the Artemis Accords to 64 members, adding to a rapid run of signings that included Latvia and Jordan earlier this month.
• The Accords set practical norms for civil space exploration, such as sharing data, helping those in distress, avoiding conflicts at work sites, and protecting historic locations, and were launched in 2020 by the United States and seven partners.
• NASA and the State Department are using the growing coalition to shape cooperation on the Artemis lunar effort, while former NASA official Mike Gold linked recent interest to enthusiasm after the Artemis 2 mission and urged members to join operations on the Moon.