US lauds Morocco for signing the Artemis Accords

Morocco signed the Artemis Accords, joining a US – led framework for peaceful space exploration as American and Moroccan officials wrapped up a bilateral meeting in the capital Rabat.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau called the signing a turning point for the two countries’ alliance. Morocco’s foreign minister, Nasser Bourita, signed on behalf of Rabat during a press conference that followed the closed-door session.

“Today, we are delighted to see our alliance extend to space,” Landau said.

Morocco becomes the 64th nation to sign the accords, a milestone Landau credited to the framework’s broad appeal.

“The remarkable growth of the Artemis Accords attests to the universal appeal of their vision of responsible space exploration,” he said.

The accords, drawn up under NASA’s Artemis lunar program, lay out principles for civil space activities: sharing scientific data, registering space objects, protecting heritage sites in space and giving advance notice of operations that could affect other nations. Signatories also agree to deorbit spent satellites and avoid harmful interference with one another’s missions.

Morocco’s accession reflects a broader push by African and Arab nations to stake out positions in space governance before commercial and governmental activity in orbit intensifies. Rabat has expanded science and technology cooperation with Washington in recent years, and officials described Wednesday’s signing as a natural extension of that work.