NASA Welcomes Jordan as 63rd Artemis Accords Signatory
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan signed the Artemis Accords on Thursday during a ceremony hosted by NASA at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, becoming the latest country to commit to responsible space exploration for the benefit of humanity.
“It is my privilege to welcome Jordan as a new signatory to the Artemis Accords,” said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “By signing the Accords today, Jordan brings valuable perspective and capabilities that will help expand the golden age of exploration for all humanity. They join us at a pivotal moment, as we take the principles of the Accord and put them into practice with humanity’s return to the Moon. Through Artemis, we are returning to the lunar surface, with contributions from our international partners, to build and remain a lunar base.”
Ambassador Dina Kawar of Jordan signed the agreements on behalf of the country. Ruth Perry, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, also participated in the ceremony.
“Jordan has more engineers per capita than almost any country in the world,” Kawar said. “Through the National Council for Future Technologies, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein is ensuring that talent has direction, transforming Jordan into a regional and global technology hub in AI, digital infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and now space. Today’s signing is proof that this ambition has no ceiling. We invite our American partners to build what’s next.”
In 2018, Jordan launched the JY1 satellite, a CubeSat developed by university students. The CubeSat transmitted images and audio from its orbit after launching on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Station in California. Jordan’s growing interest in space includes a private analog research center 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 concrete benefits on Earth.
In 2020, under the first Trump administration, the United States, led by NASA and the State Department, joined seven other founding countries to conclude the Artemis Accords, responding to growing interest in lunar activities from governments and private companies. The agreements introduced the first set of practical principles aimed at strengthening security and coordination between like-minded nations as they explore the Moon, Mars and beyond.
Signing the Artemis Accords means committing to explore peacefully and transparently, providing aid to those in need, providing access to scientific data from which all humanity can learn, ensuring activities do not interfere with those of others, and preserving historically significant sites and artifacts by developing best practices in space exploration for the benefit of all.
Additional countries are expected to sign the Artemis Accords in the coming months and years, as NASA continues its work to establish a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space.
Learn more about Artemis Agreements at:
https://www.nasa.gov/artemis-accords
