UAE:The UAE Space Agency (UAESA), on October 13, became one of the first signatories of NASA’s Artemis Accords at the 71st International Astronautical Congress, IAC, running between October 12 and 14, 2020.
The Artemis Accords was formally announced by NASA, the American Space Agency, in May 2020. The aim is to create a safe and transparent environment that facilitates exploration, science, and commercial activities for the benefit of all humanity based on a shared vision for principles, grounded in the United Nations’ Outer Space Treaty of 1967.
Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology and Chair of the UAE Space Agency and Jim Bridenstine, NASA Administrator along with the heads of the Space Agencies of Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, and the United Kingdom took part in the virtual event hosted by NASA.
The UAE has contributed to space science and exploration by launching several satellites. Also, the UAE Astronaut Programme made history last year by being the first Emirati astronaut visiting the International Space Station (ISS). The nation also successfully launched Hope Probe Emirates Mars Mission (EMM), which will provide us with a comprehensive understanding of the weather system of Mars along with a better understanding of underlying factors that could cause climate change. The UAE emphasizes the importance of data sharing across missions along with the interoperability of systems to drive space exploration by releasing the data to the global science community without an embargo period.
Sarah Al Amiri said that the UAE is pleased to become a signatory of the Artemis Accords and that the endorsement of this agreement is in keeping with UAE’s principle of the peaceful use and exploration of outer space to enhance development and sustainability goals here on Earth. She said that “It highlights the UAE’s efforts to collaborate with the global community to establish new and improved principles and frameworks that strengthen international laws for space exploration, as we firmly believe that the advancement and diversification of the space sector require the concerted efforts of all global players.”
She also said about UAE’s international collaboration and benefits of the partnerships, and contributions to international efforts to shared human knowledge and understanding of our universe without boundaries.
The signatories agreed to conduct all activities for peaceful purposes and to publicly and transparently describe their policies and plans, strive for interoperability, ensure the provision of emergency assistance, register space objects to help avoid harmful interference, release scientific data publicly, and endeavor to protect sites and artifacts of historic value, in line with the principles outlined in the Artemis Accords. They also agreed to extract and use space resources in accordance with the Outer Space Treaty and provide public information about the location and nature of operations, while also working to deconflict where necessary and mitigate orbital debris.
More than 20 space agencies and long-standing partnerships with the United Nations and international entities focused on space exploration has been established by UAESA since 2014. The agency has increased the global representation of the UAE through participation in international space organizations including the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), the International Space Exploration Coordination Ground, the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG), the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPOUS).
Source: wam.ae
