Jordan is set to sign the Artemis Accords with the U.S. Space Agency (NASA) this Thursday, during an official ceremony held at the agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C.
اضافة اعلان
According to a NASA announcement, the signing ceremony will be attended by Jordan’s Ambassador to the United States, Dina Kawar, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, and the U.S. State Department’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Ruth Berry.
By signing these accords, Jordan will become the 63rd country globally and the fifth Arab nation to join the Artemis Accords. This international framework was launched in 2020 during the first administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, led by NASA and the U.S. State Department, alongside seven other founding nations.
The Accords aim to establish practical principles to enhance safety, transparency, and coordination in space exploration activities for peaceful purposes on the Moon, Mars, and beyond, amid growing interest from governments and private companies in lunar activities.
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) noted that the Royal Jordanian Geographic Centre, which hosts the Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education for Western Asia, had previously initiated formal procedures for Jordan's accession through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates and the Jordanian Embassy in Washington.
According to UNOOSA, joining the Accords provides the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan with access to enhanced international cooperation and the opportunity to participate in the NASA Artemis program. It also allows Jordan to contribute to shaping the future of space exploration in a peaceful, safe, and sustainable manner.
In the same context, the office highlighted that preparations have begun to organize NASA's first "Analog Mission" in the Wadi Rum region, scheduled to launch in November 2026 as part of the Artemis Accords framework. — Al-Mamlaka
