United States Welcomes Botswana’s Signing of the Artemis Accords

The Department of State congratulates the Republic of Botswana on joining the Artemis Accords.  Botswana is the 68th country to sign the Accords to date, pledging its commitment to peaceful exploration and use of space.  

Botswana’s Minister of Communication and Innovation David Tshere signed the Accords on behalf of the Republic of Botswana on June 25, 2026.  NASA Deputy Administrator Matthew Anderson and State Department Senior Advisor for Space Gregory Autry witnessed and celebrated the signing at a ceremony at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.  The United States and Botswana maintain strong science and technology partnerships.  In March 2025, Botswana launched its first satellite, BOTSAT-1, aboard a SpaceX rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The United States and seven other countries established the Artemis Accords in 2020 to serve as a set of practical principles to guide responsible space exploration.  Botswana joins the United States and 66 other nations in affirming the Accords’ principles for sustainable civil space activity.  The Department of State and NASA lead the United States’ outreach and implementation of the Accords.