Chile and Cyprus signal the Artemis Accords

WASHINGTON — Chile and Cyprus are the newest nations to signal the Artemis Accords for sustainable house exploration, a part of surge of recent signatories this month.

At a ceremony at NASA Headquarters Oct. 25, Aisén Etcheverry, Chile’s minister of science, expertise, information and innovation, signed the Accords on the behalf of that nation. The ceremony was attended by Chile’s ambassador to the US in addition to NASA Administrator Invoice Nelson and Jennifer Littlejohn, appearing assistant secretary of the Bureau of Oceans and Worldwide Environmental and Scientific Affairs of the State Division.

“The signing marks a big milestone for Chile, significantly as our authorities is dedicated to advancing technological improvement as a key pillar of our nationwide technique,” Etcheverry mentioned in a press release. “Furthermore, this collaboration permits us to contribute to areas of scientific excellence the place Chile has distinguished experience, similar to astrobiology, geology, and mineralogy, all of that are vital for the exploration and colonization of house.”

Chile signed the Accords two days after Cyprus did so in an occasion in Nicosia, the nation’s capital. That occasion was attended by a State Division official whereas Jim Free, NASA affiliate administrator, participated nearly.

“As we embark on this thrilling journey, we reaffirm our dedication to a secure and accountable house exploration, in addition to our robust perception within the significance of worldwide cooperation in making certain house is utilized to the good thing about all humanity,” Nicodemos Damianou, deputy minister of analysis, innovation, and digital coverage of Cyprus, mentioned in a press release. He added that the nation, a member of the European Union, “aspires to play an integral position within the worldwide house group.”

The 2 nations convey to 47 the variety of nations which have signed the Artemis Accords since 2020. 4 of these nations have signed in October: the Dominican Republic signed Oct. 4 and Estonia signed Oct. 13, simply earlier than Artemis Accords signatories met on the Worldwide Astronautical Congress (IAC).

On the IAC assembly, attended by 42 of the 45 nations that had signed the Accords on the time, members mentioned implementation particulars of features of the Accords, which define greatest practices for sustainable house exploration constructing on the Outer House Treaty and different worldwide agreements. In addition they emphasised efforts to recruit further nations to signal the Accords.

One problem, officers mentioned at an Oct. 14 media briefing, was the necessity to construct up technical and coverage experience in nations, significantly because the Artemis Accords expands past conventional spacefaring nations to those who are solely starting house applications. They famous efforts in areas like Africa and the Asia-Pacific to take action.

“A few of these nations haven’t but signed the Artemis Accords as a result of they don’t absolutely perceive the explanations to be inside it,” mentioned Teodoro Valente, president of the Italian house company ASI, on the briefing. “That is certainly one of our duties, certainly one of our duties, to allow them to know what does it imply, what are the benefits.”

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