Nigeria and Rwanda sign Artemis Accords

Nigeria and Rwanda signed the Artemis Accords, becoming the first two African countries to adhere to the set of nonbinding commitments to facilitate the peaceful and safe exploration of outer space.

The Artemis Accords, signed by 23 countries up to December 2022, outline a series of principles, guidelines, and best practices to enhance the governance of the civil exploration and use of outer space. Intended to apply to civil space activities conducted by the civil space agencies of each signatory country, the principles cover issues such as peaceful purposes, transparency, interoperability, emergency assistance, registration of space objects, release of scientific data, deconfliction of activities, protection of space heritage, and mitigation of orbital debris, including spacecraft disposal.