Bahrain has joined the Artemis Accords to enhance cooperation in space exploration and peaceful use of space, official sources have said.
The signing reportedly took place on the sidelines of the visit of Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to the United States.
Bahrain’s National Space Science Agency (NSSA) CEO Mohamed Ebrahim Al Aseeri explained that joining the accords would open the door for the country to new opportunities for cooperation and investment in the field.
It is also expected to facilitate the exchange of expertise among its signatories.
He said these efforts would assist in achieving the NSSA’s objectives, chief among which was raising Bahrain’s profile regionally and globally.
Al Aseeri added that this step would also enable enhanced training and research opportunities for Bahrain, besides facilitating the exchange of space-related data and various projects of economic significance.
The NSSA was invited by US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to join the accords, with the aim of pursuing a common set of objectives and interests.
The Artemis Accords were signed by eight founding countries: the United Arab Emirates, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, Canada, Australia, and Luxembourg.
South Korea, New Zealand, Brazil, and Ukraine have since joined as signatories.
According to the NASA official website, it plans to use the Artemis missions to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, “using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.”
It added: “We will collaborate with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the Moon.”
The agency continued: “Then, we will use what we learn on and around the Moon to take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.”