The Czech Republic is now the latest country to sign the Artemis Accords.
Jan Lipavský, the country's foreign minister, has recently signed the Artemis Accords as his country's promise it would explore space with other signatory countries responsibly.
The Artemis Accords is a practical set of principles to guide space exploration cooperation among nations, including those participating in NASA's Artemis program, per NASA.
Czech Republic Artemis Accords Signing Details
Lipavský signed the Artemis Accords at a publicized event at The Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters building in Washington DC on May 3, making the Czech Republic the 24th nation to do so, per NASA's latest blog post.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson witnessed Lipavský sign the Accords while Acting Assistant Secretary Jennifer R. Littlejohn and Czech Ambassador to the United States Miloslav Stašek also took part in the signing ceremony.
The Czech Foreign Minister mentioned that he signed the Artemis Accords on behalf of his country because he believes signing it will kick-start the development of an "institutional and industrial cooperation within the Artemis community, as well as directly between Cezchia and the US in the field of space activities."
According to a Space.com report, he detailed the decades' worth of research in space sciences the Czech Republic conducted alongside its efforts, like the development of equipment meant to put humanity back on the Moon and keep them on it. He added that Czechia's space ecosystem has a lot to offer regarding space exploration.
Nelson shared Lipavský's sentiment about cooperating with other counties to explore space together. He said that the days of nations exploring space on their own and that the US, the Czech Republic, and other Artemis Accords signatories are setting a standard for 21st-century exploration and use of space.
Aside from the Czech Republic, NASA expects that more countries will sign the Artemis Accords in the near and foreseeable future as it continues to work with its international partners to establish " a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space." it believes that working with both new and existing partners would add new energy and capabilities that allow the entire world to benefit from its space exploration programs.
What Are The Artemis Accords
NASA defines the Artemis Accords as a set of principles that guide space exploration cooperation among nations, including those participating in its Artemis program, which aims to put humanity back on the Moon, take them to Mars, and deeper into space.
In simpler terms, the Accords encourage cooperation and responsible behavior in space - a vital foundation for space exploration that would guide humanity towards "a future of optimism and promise," per Acting Assistant Secretary Littlejohn.
NASA established the Artemis Accords in 2020 in coordination with the US Department of State and the other eight original signatories. It reinforces and implements the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which dictates that space explorations are carried out for the and in the interests of all countries and that outer space shall be Humanity's province and free for exploration and use by all nations, per the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs.
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