Slovakia to Join Artemis Accords Concerning Space Exploration

Bratislava, May 25 (TASR) - Slovakia will join the Artemis Accords concerning space exploration after the government took note of the Education Ministry's proposal earlier this week and authorised Education Minister Tomas Drucker (Voice-SD) to sign the respective documents. The Artemis Accords are a political initiative of the United States that has been joined by 39 countries so far. "The principles of the agreements attempt to reflect the conditions of the 21st century, the engagement of commercial entities in the realm of space and in technological progress. For Slovakia, the agreements are a platform for deepening cooperation in the field of space research, development and industry with the USA and the other countries involved," said the proposal's submitter. The authors of the Artemis accords are the Department of State of the USA and the same country's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). They define them as a set of principles and a kind of code for responsible peaceful exploration of the Moon, Mars and other bodies in space as part of their 2019 Artemis space programme, which aims to achieve a landing on the Moon by 2025 and to create a sustainable presence on it with the potential for space exploration by the end of the decade. Other space agencies of EU-member states, Canada and Japan, as well as many private companies participate in the programme led by NASA. The European Space Agency, of which Slovakia is an associate member, also participates in the Artemis programme. The education minister will sign the accords during his working trip to the USA. ko/df