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Jordanian, Palestinian women lead historic space simulation in Wadi Rum

Photo courtesy of Jordan Space Research Initiative
Photo courtesy of Jordan Space Research Initiative
By JT | 21:48 October 20, 2025 |
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AMMAN — The Jordan Space Research Initiative (JSRI) proudly announces Jordan’s participation in the World’s Biggest Analog (WBA) with the PETRA-2 mission.

This marks the first-ever space simulation mission made up entirely of Arab women, with a crew and mission control team from Jordan and Palestine.

The WBA, coordinated by the Austrian Space Forum, is a large synchronised space simulation mission, carried out simultaneously at 16 multiple research habitats around the world in October 2025.

Analog missions simulate life and work on other planets, allowing scientists to study how humans and technologies perform in extreme environments, in preparation for living on the Moon and Mars.

Building on the success of PETRA-1, the first Jordanian analog mission, which was held in Wadi Rum in 2024, JSRI continues to pioneer Jordan’s role in global space research with the second Jordanian analog mission, PETRA-2.

The seven-day mission began on 13 October 2025 and brought together 10 international researchers studying human performance, wellbeing, and communication in extreme environments.

JSRI was founded in 2020 by Sahba El-Shawa, the first Jordanian and first female Palestinian analog astronaut, and has been bridging space research with sustainable development while empowering Arab women in science and exploration ever since.

JSRI’s model is built on partnership with the local Bedouin community of Wadi Rum, whose camps host their analog missions. This collaboration is unique in the world of space research, and ensures that their presence supports local livelihoods and honors the land that makes this research possible

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