Cyprus became the 46th state to sign the so-called Artemis Accords. This is a treaty between governments governing the principles of cooperation in the exploration and use of the Moon, Mars, comets and asteroids for peaceful purposes.
NASA Deputy Administrator James Free on Oct. 24 welcomed Cyprus's joining the Artemis Accords, saying the move would "strengthen the country's commitment to NASA and the international community."
This is an important milestone for Cyprus
The agreements were signed by the head of the Sub-Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Nicodemos Damianou, who described the moment as an important milestone. He said the countries that signed the agreements represent “a diverse coalition of nations committed to a new era of space exploration based on the principles of security, peace and sustainability.”
“By embarking on this path, we reaffirm our commitment to the importance of international cooperation in harnessing the Universe for the benefit of all humanity,” he emphasized. The expert added that Cyprus has “already made significant progress, focusing mainly on the field of communications, satellites and Earth observation.”
Space should become one of the economic drivers
“As we move deeper into the space age, it is critical that we build knowledge, collaborate across disciplines and across disciplines. Space must be at the center of our efforts to diversify our economy and create value for future generations,” Daminau emphasized.
There are now 46 countries in the alliance
The Artemis Accords were developed at the initiative of the United States. The first eight countries signed them in 2020. Cyprus became the 46th country to enter into these agreements, joining countries such as the UK, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, India and Greece.
The agreements take their name from the American Artemis lunar exploration program. They are advisory in nature.
The text was prepared based on materials from Cyprus Mail and Politis.
More on the topic:
The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded the Cyprus-based organization 1010 Cosmos a prize for its CARES astronomy education project. The award was given for “bridging the gap between Cyprus and space.” Read more in our material “Cyprus received an award from the European Space Agency.”
The first Cypriot satellite, which will be launched into space in 2026, is presented at the Cyprus Space Research and Innovation Center (C-SpaRC) in Nicosia. Read more in our material “The Cyprus satellite is a participant in NASA research.”
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