Muscat – Oman will sign the Artemis Accords with the US space agency NASA on Monday, joining a growing group of nations committed to the peaceful and responsible exploration of outer space, the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Information Technology (MTCIT) has stated.
With Oman’s accession, the number of signatories to the Artemis Accords will rise to 61, reflecting a shared international vision for safe and sustainable activities beyond Earth.
MTCIT said the move will enhance Oman’s standing in science and technology and create new opportunities for young people and researchers in space sciences and related applications.
The Artemis Accords are a non-binding set of principles intended to guide civil space exploration and use in the 21st century. These are grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, which establishes that space activities should be conducted for peaceful purposes and in accordance with international law.
Co-led by the US Department of State and NASA, the accords were launched in October 2020 by eight founding countries: Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. Since then, the framework has expanded steadily, bringing together nations from across regions and levels of space capability.
Jared Isaacman, Administrator of NASA, welcomed Oman as the latest signatory, describing the move as an important addition to the international space community. “Oman’s decision reflects a clear vision of how space investment can support workforce development, environmental monitoring and economic opportunity on Earth.”
He added that Oman views space not as a distant frontier but as a domain where international cooperation and innovation could deliver practical benefits. Isaacman also noted Oman’s role as a partner of the United States on several international issues and said its participation in the accords reinforced shared commitments to transparency and peaceful conduct in space.
NASA, he said, would continue working with Oman and other partners under the accords to share data, strengthen common principles and address complex challenges together, as the agency prepares to return humans to the Moon and lay the groundwork for future missions.
The Artemis Accords affirm that cooperative space activities should be carried out exclusively for peaceful purposes and in line with international law, consistent with the principles of the Outer Space Treaty. These also promote transparency, interoperability and responsible behaviour in space exploration.
