Djibouti signed the Artemis Accords during a ceremony at NASA Headquarters in Washington on Monday, September 14, 2026, becoming the 72nd nation and the eighth African country to join, NASA said that day. Ambassador Mohamed Siad Douale signed on Djibouti's behalf. Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson hosted the event, and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia also took part.

In remarks cited by NASA, Anderson said Djibouti was joining a coalition of like-minded nations at an important time, and said the accords open opportunities for member countries to contribute hardware, scientific payloads, technology demonstrations, CubeSats and other capabilities to future missions. Douale said Djibouti sought to deepen its partnership with the United States and other nations committed to peaceful space cooperation, citing scientific research, satellite applications, education and technical training.

According to NASA, Djibouti's national space program, launched in 2020, is managed by the Centre for Studies and Research of Djibouti within the Ministry of Higher Education and Research. The nation launched its first satellites, Djibouti 1A and Djibouti 1B, in 2023 and 2024 respectively, both reaching orbit aboard Falcon 9 rockets launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. NASA and the State Department established the accords in 2020 with seven other founding nations.