NASA Chief Applauds Morocco’s Leap Into the Artemis Accords
Marrakech – NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman welcomed Morocco as the newest member of the Artemis Accords in a recent video shared on his X account.
“Today, it is my privilege to welcome the Kingdom of Morocco as the newest signatory to the Artemis Accords,” Isaacman declared. “They join a growing community of nations working together to ignite a new era of peaceful, transparent, and responsible space exploration.”
Morocco became the 64th country to sign the Accords on April 29 at a ceremony in Rabat. Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita signed on behalf of the kingdom. US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and US Ambassador to Morocco Duke Buchan III witnessed the signing.
Isaacman pointed to the deep historical ties between the two nations. “Morocco holds a unique place in US history as the first nation to recognize the United States in 1777,” he noted. “That early partnership led to the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, the longest unbroken treaty in American history.”
Congratulations to the Kingdom of Morocco on joining the Artemis Accords.
Together, we’re building the future of exploration. pic.twitter.com/1tSXSCOmJV
— NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (@NASAAdmin) May 1, 2026
The NASA chief added that the friendship extends into space, with NASA collaboration dating back to 1962 through technical exchanges.
He referenced Morocco’s expanding capabilities through institutions like the Moroccan Center for Remote Sensing, which plays an active role in Earth observation and international cooperation. “These capabilities will contribute to our shared efforts as we build toward sustained operations beyond Earth,” Isaacman remarked.
The Artemis Accords are a non-binding set of principles designed to guide civil space exploration and use in the 21st century. Grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, the Accords were launched on October 13, 2020 with eight founding signatories including the United States, Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. The framework is co-led by the Department of State and NASA.
The Accords cover ten core principles: peaceful purposes, transparency, interoperability, emergency assistance, registration of space objects, release of scientific data, protecting heritage, space resources, deconfliction of activities, and orbital debris management.
Morocco is the 64th country to sign the Artemis Accords!
By signing the accords, Morocco joins other signatories that have committed to peaceful, transparent, and responsible space exploration for the benefit of all. pic.twitter.com/rFO9lREoNT
— NASA Artemis (@NASAArtemis) May 1, 2026
In a statement announcing the signing, the US State Department described it as a reflection of “the strength of the US-Morocco alliance and the extension of that partnership into space, demonstrating Morocco’s commitment to responsible space exploration.”
Isaacman framed Morocco’s accession within the broader trajectory of the Artemis program. “Morocco joined the Artemis Accords at a pivotal moment,” he observed. “What comes next is a series of missions that will take us back to the lunar surface, not just for the flags and footprints, but to build a base and stay.”
Partner nations will play a direct role in that effort, he asserted, concluding: “Together, America, Morocco, and our Artemis allies are leading the golden age of space exploration, and we’re just getting started.”
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