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Ecuador Signs The Artemis Accords
Ecuador Signs the Artemis Accords
Sat Jun 24 2023Written by Dakota W.
Ecuador has become the 26th country and the fourth in Latin America to sign the Artemis Accords, a framework for safe and sustainable space exploration.
The signing ceremony took place at Ecuador's embassy in Washington, with Gustavo Manrique Miranda, Ecuador's foreign affairs minister, signing the accords in the presence of U.S. State Department and NASA officials. Ecuador's participation signifies its commitment to technological advancement, innovation, investment, workforce development, and international collaboration for solving global challenges. Although Ecuador's space presence is limited, it has a space agency established in 2007, and the company Leviathan Space Industries is working on establishing a spaceport in the country.
The Artemis Accords aim to attract countries beyond the traditional space players and foster diversity among the signatories. One working group, led by Brazil and Poland, is focused on addressing obstacles and attracting emerging space nations. The Accords, closely linked to NASA's Artemis lunar exploration campaign, provide guiding principles based on the Outer Space Treaty, ensuring peaceful and law-abiding space activities. Signing the accords does not obligate countries to participate in the Artemis program, but rather establishes a foundation for cooperation and best practices.
The current signatories of the Artemis Accords include:
Australia
Brazil
Canada
Italy
Japan
Luxembourg
Mexico
New Zealand
Poland
South Korea
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Argentina
Chile
Czech Republic
Hungary
Luxembourg
Portugal
Peru
Rwanda
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Egypt
Ecuador
The Accords continue to encourage international cooperation, with ongoing discussions and efforts to address unresolved issues and pave the way for future developments in space exploration and resource utilization.
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