By joining the Artemis Accords, Mauritius has pledged to uphold the principles of the Outer Space Treaty, promoting interoperability, the peaceful use of outer space, and ensuring that space exploration benefits all humanity.

Mauritius has become the latest country to join the Artemis Accords, officially signing the international agreement on responsible space exploration and becoming the seventh African nation to join the initiative.

The signing ceremony took place in Ébène, Mauritius, with NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson delivering video remarks. He welcomed Mauritius to the Artemis Accords community, saying the partnership would help advance peaceful, accessible and responsible space exploration while supporting future missions to the Moon and beyond.

The Accords were signed on behalf of Mauritius by Navindsing Jugmohunsing, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Tertiary Education, Science and Research. The ceremony was witnessed by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Sarah Troutman and US Chargé d’Affaires to Mauritius Craig Halbmaier.

Jugmohunsing described the signing as a milestone in Mauritius’ growing space ambitions, saying the island nation is committed to using space technologies to benefit humanity, protect its oceans and coastlines, and contribute to the future of global space governance. He added that the agreement would also create new opportunities for innovation and international collaboration.

NASA noted that its relationship with Mauritius dates back to global mapping efforts between 1965 and 1980, when the country’s strategic location supported satellite missions measuring Earth’s size and shape. Data collected from Mauritius helped improve navigation technologies used during the Apollo programme and continues to support modern exploration initiatives, including Artemis.

Established in 2020 by NASA and the US Department of State alongside seven founding nations, the Artemis Accords set out practical principles for the safe and transparent exploration of the Moon, Mars and beyond. The agreement promotes peaceful cooperation, assistance to astronauts in need, open access to scientific data, responsible operations that avoid interference with others, and the preservation of historically significant sites and artefacts.

NASA said the Accords continue to support international cooperation as the agency advances plans for a sustained human presence on the Moon, with Mauritius now joining other signatories in contributing to future space exploration efforts. More countries are expected to join the Artemis Accords in the coming months and years.