Fifty countries have now joined NASA in its efforts to establish peace and cooperation in international space exploration.
On Wednesday (December 11), Panama and Austria signed a NASA Artemis AccordsAccording to NASA’s statement, it becomes the 49th and 50th countries to commit to responsible exploration of space for all mankind.
“NASA welcomes Panama and Austria to the Artemis Accords community and celebrates 50 nations united by shared principles of safe and responsible space exploration,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement statement. “NASA is opening space to more countries and more people than ever before, for the benefit of all. Together we are building long-term, peaceful deep space exploration for the Artemis generation.”
The Artemis Accords was signed in October 2020 with eight initial signatories. On December 11, Panama and Austria held separate signing ceremonies at NASA headquarters in Washington, joining a growing number of international partners.
The agreement’s guiding principles focus on peaceful and responsible space exploration and are based on outer space treaty 1967 and other international agreements. These principles reinforce a collective commitment to scientific discovery, innovation and sustainability, setting the standard for future space missions, including those of NASA artemis projectwhich aims to return astronauts to the moon for the first time since the moon landing Apollo 17 Mission carried out in 1972.
“Austria is proud to have signed the Artemis Accords, which is an important step in promoting international cooperation in civil exploration. moon and expand human presence in the universe,” Petra Schneebauer, Austria’s ambassador to the United States, who signed the agreements on behalf of Austria, said in a statement.
“By signing the agreement, we reaffirm our commitment to the peaceful, responsible and cooperative use of space, while underlining our support for strong multilateral partnerships and scientific progress,” said Schönbauer. “This cooperation will provide significant benefits for Austrian businesses. , scientists and research institutions participate in pioneering space programs to open up new prospects.”
The agreement also proposes a series of recommendations on non-interference, interoperability, scientific data release and further promotion of interoperability. long term sustainability Guidelines for the management of lunar orbital and lunar surface debris.
“Today, Panama occupies a place among many other countries, looking not only at our own horizons, but also at the horizons of the future beyond our planet “Explore, learn and contribute to humanity’s collective knowledge. This moment represents much more than A diplomatic signature. A bold commitment to peaceful exploration, scientific discovery, and international cooperation.