The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan signed the Artemis Accords\u00a0Thursday\u00a0during a ceremony\u00a0hosted by NASA\u00a0at the agency\u2019s headquarters in Washington,\u00a0becoming the\u00a0latest\u00a0nation to commit to responsible space exploration to benefit humanity.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is my privilege to welcome Jordan as the newest signatory to the Artemis Accords,\u201d said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. \u201cBy signing the accords today, Jordan brings valuable perspective and capabilities that will help expand the Golden Age of exploration for all mankind. They join at a pivotal moment, as we take the accords principles and put them into practice with humanity\u2019s return to the Moon. Through Artemis, we\u2019re going back to the lunar surface, with contributions from our international partners, to build a Moon Base and to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ambassador Dina Kawar of Jordan signed the accords on behalf of the country. U.S. Department of State Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Ruth Perry also participated in the ceremony.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJordan has more engineers per capita than almost any country in the world,\u201d said Kawar. \u201cThrough the National Council for Future Technologies, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein is ensuring that talent has a direction,\u00a0transforming Jordan into a regional and global technology hub across AI, digital infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and now space. Today\u2019s signing is proof that this ambition has no ceiling. We invite our American partners to build what comes next with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2018, Jordan launched the JY1 satellite, a CubeSat developed by university students. The CubeSat transmitted images and audio from orbit after its launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Jordan\u2019s growing interest in space includes a privately operated analog research facility in Wadi Rum, where the Jordan Space Research Initiative conducted its PETRA1 and PETRA2 missions in 2024 and 2025 to advance human spaceflight and planetary research for real-world benefits on Earth.<\/p>\n
In\u00a02020, during the first Trump Administration, the United States, led by NASA and the State Department, joined with seven other founding nations to\u00a0establish\u00a0the Artemis Accords, responding to the growing interest in lunar activities by both governments and private companies. The\u00a0accords introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety and coordination\u00a0between like-minded nations as they explore\u00a0the Moon, Mars, and beyond.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Signing the Artemis Accords means committing to explore peaceably and transparently, to render aid to those in need, to enable access to scientific data that all of humanity can learn from, to ensure activities do not interfere with those of others, and to preserve historically significant sites and artifacts by developing best practices for space exploration for the benefit of all.\u00a0<\/p>\n
More countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues its work to\u00a0establish\u00a0a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Learn more about the Artemis Accords at:\u00a0<\/p>\n