0
0
NASA Welcomes Slovenia to Artemis Accords
NASA’s efforts in forging international partnerships for responsible moon exploration received a significant boost as Slovenia signed the Artemis Accords on Friday, April 19. With this development, Slovenia became the 39th country to join hands with NASA in the pursuit of future space endeavors extending to the moon and beyond.
“NASA welcomes Slovenia to the Artemis Accords,” stated NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in a press release. “Today, the partnership between the United States and Slovenia crosses a new frontier. We live in a golden era of exploring the stars. That era will be defined by nations that explore the cosmos openly, responsibly, and in peace.”
The Artemis Accords establish fundamental principles to guide peaceful and responsible space exploration in accordance with the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. By emphasizing the importance of scientific discovery, innovation, and sustainability, the Accords set a benchmark for future missions including NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to land astronauts on the moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Official Signing Ceremony
The signing ceremony took place in Ljubljana, Slovenia, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Offices, where Matevž Frangež, State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy, Tourism, and Sport, signed the Accords on behalf of Slovenia. Notably, Slovenia becomes the third European country to join the Accords in less than a week, following Switzerland and Sweden on April 15 and 16, respectively.
“Slovenia aligns itself with the principles, values, and regulations governing the peaceful use of space as a common asset of humanity,” remarked Frangež during the signing ceremony, underscoring Slovenia’s commitment to space exploration.
Rebecca Bresnik, Associate General Counsel for International and Space Law, accompanied by her husband Randy Bresnik, a NASA astronaut with Slovenian heritage, together with Jamie L. Harpootlian, the United States ambassador to Slovenia, and Iztok Mirošič, the Slovenian Ambassador to the U.S., were also in attendance at the signing event.
“We are pleased to welcome Slovenia into the Artemis Accords community,” expressed Ambassador Harpootlian. “Recognizing Slovenia as an emerging leader in space, we anticipate expanding our collaborations with Slovenia in the fields of science, technology, and innovation to new horizons.”
Genesis of the Artemis Accords
The Artemis Accords were initially established in 2020 by NASA and the U.S. State Department, with the participation of seven supporting countries. Since then, the coalition of signatory nations committed to collaborative space exploration has steadily grown, with Belgium, Greece, and Uruguay joining the ranks earlier this year.
Image/Photo credit: source url
