Ukraine strikes deal with NASA on Moon, Mars exploration

The State Space Agency of Ukraine (SSAU) has signed agreements within the NASA's Artemis program on the principles of cooperation in civil research and peaceful use of the Moon, Mars, comets, and asteroids. Thus, Ukraine has become the ninth signatory to the Artemis Accords, the SSAU's press service wrote on its website on November 13. Program principles include peaceful exploration, transparency, system compatibility, emergency assistance, registration of space objects, release of research data, protecting heritage, as well as extraction and utilization of space resources in accordance with the Outer Space Treaty. Artemis Accords countries commit to preventing harmful interference and planning for the safe disposal of space debris. "It's important for Ukraine because we'll be able to implement our own projects in partnership with the world's leading space agencies. This is a logical step in continuation of the fact that we have already joined the Moon Village Association. Ukrainian projects have for the first time become part of the global scenario of lunar development by ISECG, and it's logical that we want to further realize our potential within the Artemis program. These principles and agreements don't violate Ukraine's international obligations in the field of space activities," Head of the SSAU Volodymyr Usov said. "I'm convinced that the agreements will give a new impetus to states uniting to start multilateral consultations in the context of the development of international space law, which would meet modern challenges and plans of mankind toward space exploration," he added. The signing of the agreements will help discuss the conclusion of a framework agreement between Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers and the U.S. Government on cooperation in the peaceful study and use of outer space.

Ukraine strikes deal with NASA on Moon, Mars exploration

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