NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced on Thursday, April 23, 2026, that the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan had officially joined the Artemis Accords as the 63rd signatory.
Signing ceremony at NASA Headquarters
The signing took place in the Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington, where Ambassador Dina Kawar represented Jordan and Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Ruth Perry represented the U.S. Department of State.
Jordan’s space ambitions
According to Ambassador Kawar, Jordan possesses a high number of engineers per capita and is developing a national strategy to become a regional hub for artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and space activities.
Jordan’s previous space efforts include the 2018 launch of the JY1 CubeSat, built by university students and deployed on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, as well as the PETRA1 and PETRA2 analog missions conducted in Wadi Rum in 2024 and 2025.
Background of the Artemis Accords
The Artemis Accords were first introduced in 2020 by NASA and the State Department together with seven founding nations, establishing practical principles for safe and transparent exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Signatories commit to peaceful exploration, sharing scientific data, preserving historic sites, and providing assistance to partners in need.
Future outlook
NASA expects additional nations to join the Accords in the coming months and years, aiming to build a collaborative framework for a safe, peaceful, and prosperous presence in space.
Dieser Bericht basiert auf Informationen von NASA, lizenziert unter Public Domain (U.S. Government Work).
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