Spain has joined the Artemis Accords.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and Diana Morant, Spain’s science and innovation minister, participated in a ceremony to mark the signing at Moncloa Palace in Madrid on Tuesday (May 30).
Spain became the twenty fifth country to enroll, following recent signatories the Czech Republic in early May and Nigeria and Rwanda in December last yr.
Related: What are the Artemis Accords?
The Artemis Accords are a broad, non-binding framework with the goal of fostering responsible and peaceful international exploration of the moon. The agreements are a key a part of the USA’ strategy for returning astronauts to the lunar surface and exploring Earth’s nearest neighborhood in a sustainable fashion over the long haul.
“America and Spain’s partnership in space has been on display for many years, but today we bring it to recent heights,” Nelson said, based on a NASA statement.
“As the most recent member of the Artemis Accords family, Spain will safeguard our shared ideals by helping make sure that humanity’s rapid expansion into space is finished peacefully, safely and transparently.”
“Space is an example of international collaboration and a priority for our country’s vision,” said Pedro Sánchez, president of Spain, who also attended the ceremony. “We’re witnessing a commitment by the federal government of Spain to a key sector that generates opportunities and high-quality employment, which is a priority and strategic area, essential to assist and protect our society.”
The Artemis Accords were launched jointly by NASA and the U.S. State Department in 2020 with the goal of advancing bilateral and multilateral space cooperation between signatories. The Accords take inspiration for his or her name from NASA’s Artemis program, which goals to determine a sustainable human presence on and across the moon by the tip of the 2020s.
The U.S. is just not the one nation searching for support for moon projects. China is searching for to construct support for its own lunar initiative, the International Lunar Research Station, and recently established a corporation to assist coordinate the project.