May 30 (UPI) — Slovakia and Peru signed NASA’s Artemis Accords on Thursday, becoming the latest in a rapid number of countries to join the US-led agreement on the safe exploration of space.
Both countries signed the accords at NASA headquarters in Washington, but in separate ceremonies with Peru becoming the first to add its name to the accords on Thursday, followed by Slovakia, making them the 41st and 42nd countries to do so.
Tomáš Drucker, Minister of Education, Research, Development and Youth signed the agreements on behalf of Slovakia at NASA headquarters in Washington, together with the space agency’s administrator, Bill Nelson, among the dignitaries present.
“One small signature for a man, one giant leap forward in cooperation in space,” Radovan Javorcik, the Slovak ambassador to the United States who attended the signing ceremony, said on first man on the moon rephrased. .
“Sorry, N. Armstrong, for distorting your quote,” Javorcik added.
@NASA Team. Signing of Artemis Accords – One small signature for a man, one giant leap forward in space cooperation – sorry N. Armstrong for making your quote pic.twitter.com/WNtB0WZona— Radovan Javorcik (@RadovanJavorcik) May 30, 2024
The Artemis Accords, established four years ago by NASA, establish principles for peaceful space exploration based on the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. It also coincides with NASA’s Artemis campaign to become the first woman, the first person of color person and the US agency’s first partner astronaut to land on the moon.
“Slovakia sees the Artemis Accords as a great opportunity for this generation to positively define guidelines and principles for the responsible and sustainable exploration and use of space,” Drucker said in a statement.
Javier González-Olaechea, Minister of Foreign Affairs, signed the agreements on behalf of Peru, saying in a statement that by doing so the South American nation “wants to express not only a common vision with the other Member States, but also cooperation mechanisms with them Member States want to set up. countries, especially with the United States, to engage in activities for research and sustainable use of space resources, and to promote scientific development in aerospace in our country.”
The ceremonies took place after Lithuania became the 40th signatory to the accords on May 15.
It is expected that more countries will follow.
