NASA's Moon Exploration Initiative Has Its Newest Member in the Middle East...

NASA

Bahrain Signs Artemis Accords (Press Release)

Adding to a growing list of countries, Bahrain has become the latest nation to sign the Artemis Accords, which embrace a common set of principles to guide cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program.

"I am so pleased to see Bahrain has shown its commitment to the peaceful exploration of space by signing the Artemis Accords,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “This important decision by Bahrain follows the recent successful launch of the Light-1 spacecraft, developed by Bahrain’s National Space Science Agency (NSSA) in cooperation with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), another Artemis Accords signatory.”

NSSA CEO Dr. Mohamed Al Aseeri signed the Artemis Accords March 2 for the Kingdom of Bahrain. The signing was discussed as part of a joint statement following last week's U.S.-Bahrain Strategic Dialogue between Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Crown Prince and Prime Minister His Royal Highness Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain. Vice President Kamala Harris also announced Bahrain’s signing of the Artemis Accords during a joint news conference March 4 with the crown prince.

Bahrain joins 16 other countries that have already signed the Artemis Accords and is the third country in the Middle East to sign, following the UAE and Israel. It is also the eighth country to sign the Artemis Accords under the Biden-Harris Administration.

NASA, in coordination with the U.S. Department of State, announced the establishment of the Artemis Accords in 2020. The Artemis Accords reinforce and implement the 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, otherwise known as the Outer Space Treaty. They also reinforce the commitment by the United States and partner nations to the Registration Convention, the Agreement on the Rescue of Astronauts, and other norms of behavior that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of scientific data.

Additional countries will join the Artemis Accords in the months and years ahead, as NASA continues to work with its international partners to establish a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space. Working with both new and existing partners will add new energy and capabilities to ensure the entire world can benefit from our journey of exploration and discovery.

Source: NASA.Gov