Jordan has become the sixth country from the Middle East to join the Nasa-led Artemis Accords.
Jordan’s ambassador to the US, Dina Kawar, took part in a signing ceremony at Nasa’s Washington headquarters, to solidify Jordan’s participation in the coalition of 63 countries dedicated to peaceful and transparent space exploration.
Ms Kawar said she looks forward to Nasa officials visiting Jordan to see the country's enthusiasm for science and space.
"You will see that the country has such a dynamic youth and so many aspiring engineers," she said, also noting that Jordan has been used by various movie productions to depict other planets. "They say it looks like Mars on Earth," she said.
Nasa administrator Jared Isaacman reflected on the significance of Jordan signing the accords. "Jordan's commitment today aligns with our vision that nations should explore space openly, responsibly and as allies," he said.
Jordan joins the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Israel on the list of Artemis Accords signatory nations in the Middle East. The Artemis Accords were officially announced by Nasa in 2020.
Participating countries are expected to commit to peaceful space endeavours, while also being transparent with their various missions. They are also expected to help other space programmes, and, if needed, astronauts from participating countries in emergency situations.
The registration of space objects, to help blunt the dangers of space junk, and commitment to making all scientific findings related to space public, are also priorities of the accords.
“The accords introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at enhancing the safety, transparency and co-ordination of civil space exploration on the Moon, Mars and beyond,” Nasa said via a press release.
In 2025, Jordan announced that Salam Abu Al Hijja would become the country's first "astronaut candidate" to be sent into orbit on potential future space missions. Jordan has also been instrumental in sending various satellites into orbit over the last decade.
