Ambassador of Djibouti to the United States, Mohamed Siad Douale gives remarks during an Artemis Accord signing ceremony with Djibouti, Monday, September 14, 2026, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Djibouti is the 72nd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia gives remarks during an Artemis Accord signing ceremony with Djibouti, Monday, September 14, 2026, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Djibouti is the 72nd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Communications Manager Camille Gallo moderates a Artemis Accord signing ceremony with Djibouti, Monday, September 14, 2026, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Djibouti is the 72nd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson gives remarks during an Artemis Accord signing ceremony with Djibouti, Monday, September 14, 2026, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Djibouti is the 72nd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson is seen during an Artemis Accord signing ceremony with Djibouti, Monday, September 14, 2026, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Djibouti is the 72nd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Ambassador of Djibouti to the United States, Mohamed Siad Douale signs the Artemis Accords, Monday, September 14, 2026, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Djibouti is the 72nd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia is seen during an Artemis Accord signing ceremony with Djibouti, Monday, September 14, 2026, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Djibouti is the 72nd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson, left, Ambassador of Djibouti to the United States, Mohamed Siad Douale, and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, right, are seen during an Artemis Accord signing ceremony with Djibouti, Monday, September 14, 2026, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Djibouti is the 72nd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson, center, meets, Ambassador of Djibouti to the United States, Mohamed Siad Douale, right, ahead of an Artemis Accords signing ceremony Monday, September 14, 2026, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Djibouti is the 72nd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson, left, Ambassador of Djibouti to the United States, Mohamed Siad Douale, and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, right, clap after the Artemis Accord signing, Monday, September 14, 2026, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Djibouti is the 72nd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

ISS001-E-5028 (December 2000) --- Djibouti, the capital city of the country of Djibouti, can be seen in this northeast-looking view taken from the International Space Station (ISS) with a digital still camera using a 400mm lens. Djibouti, scarcely 100 years old, sits on the western shore of an isthmus in the Gulf of Tadjoura, an arm of the Gulf of Aden. Djibouti is surrounded by a rugged and bleak landscape, that has a dry and hot climate. The population of Djibouti has grown from an estimated 96,000 in 1973 to over 330,000 in 1991 mainly due to the influx of refugees from the neighboring, war torn countries of Ethiopia and Somalia. With its strategically located port, Djibouti’s economic importance results from the large transit trade it enjoys as the terminus of a railroad line from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. The city has seen an increase in tourism in the past decade due a large number of cruise ships visiting the port. Besides tourism, salt production and shipbuilding and repair are other major industries. Below the center of the image, the long runway of the Djibouti/Ambouli International Airport is visible. Coral reefs are discernible in the upper left and upper right quadrants of the image.

NASA Deputy Administrator Matt Anderson, center, Ambassador of Djibouti to the United States, Mohamed Siad Douale, left, and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, right, pose for a group photograph after the Artemis Accord signing, Monday, September 14, 2026, at the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington. Djibouti is the 72nd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

This image of Africa Nabro volcano in Eritrea was acquired by NASA Terra spacecraft on July 6, 2011. Ash plumes sent into the stratosphere disrupted air traffic in Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan.