The Republic of Djibouti will sign the Artemis Accords during a ceremony at 11 a.m. EDT on Monday, Sept. 14, at NASA Headquarters in Washington, becoming the 72nd country signatory to the lunar exploration framework.

NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson will host Ambassador of Djibouti to the United States Mohamed Siad Douale for the ceremony, alongside U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Frank Garcia. The event is in person only, because some things still are.

Media interested in attending must RSVP no later than 8 a.m. on Sept. 14 to hq-media@mail.nasa.gov. NASA's media accreditation policy is available online, for those who enjoy reading policies.

The Artemis Accords were established in 2020 during the first Trump Administration, when the United States, led by NASA and the State Department, joined with seven other founding nations to respond to growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies.

The accords introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety, transparency, and coordination of civil space exploration on the Moon, Mars, and beyond - a refreshing change from the usual approach of "whoever gets there first makes the rules."

For further information, contact Camille Gallo or Elizabeth Shaw at NASA Headquarters in Washington at 202-358-1600 or camille.m.gallo@nasa.gov / elizabeth.a.shaw@nasa.gov.