(AGENPARL) – ven 23 giugno 2023 June 23, 2023 
RELEASE 23-073
*NASA Welcomes India as 27th Artemis Accords Signatory*
Indian Ambassador Taranjit Sandhu, signs the Artemis Accords, as U.S.
Department of State, Deputy Assistant Secretary for India, Nancy Jackson,
left, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, and Indian Space Research Organization,
Space Counsellor, Krunal Joshi, right, look on, Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at
the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington. India is the 27th country
to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to
guide space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s
Artemis program.
*/Credits: NASA/Bill Ingalls/*
During a ceremony at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington on
Wednesday, June 21, India became the 27th country to sign the Artemis
Accords. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson participated in the signing ceremony
for the agency and Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India’s ambassador to the United
States, signed on behalf of India.
The Artemis Accords establish a practical set of principles to guide space
exploration cooperation among nations, including those participating in
NASA’s Artemis program.
“On behalf of NASA, on behalf of President Biden and Vice President Harris,
we are very pleased to grow our partnership with India here on Earth and in
space,” said Administrator Bill Nelson. “As we venture farther out into
the cosmos than ever before, how we go is as important as what we do when we
reach our destinations. We want to go in a peaceful way. We want to go in a
transparent way. And we want to support each other in times of trouble. We
are very grateful for India’s leadership in signing the Artemis Accords and
look forward to all that we will accomplish together.”
“India is taking a landmark step in becoming a party to the Artemis
Accords, a momentous occasion for our bilateral space cooperation,” said
Sandhu. “We reiterate India's commitment to space exploration underpinned
by new levels of cooperation and progress. India is a responsible space power
and places the highest importance on the peaceful and sustainable use of
outer space. We are confident that the Artemis Accords will advance a
rule-based approach to outer space. It also underlines our collective belief
that exploration is not just the pursuit of knowledge – of knowing the
unknown – but is a catalyst in advancing the betterment of humanity. In
that sense, signing of these Accords highlights the evolution of a
partnership into one for global good.”
NASA, in coordination with the U.S. Department of State, established
the Artemis Accords [1] in 2020 together with seven other founding member
nations. The Artemis Accords reinforce and implement key obligations in the
1967 Outer Space Treaty. They also reinforce the commitment by the United
States and signatory nations to the Registration Convention, the Rescue and
Return Agreement, as well as best practices and norms of responsible behavior
that NASA and its partners have supported, including the public release of
scientific data.
Additional countries will sign the Artemis Accords in the months and years
ahead, as NASA continues to work with its international partners to establish
a safe, peaceful, and prosperous future in space. Working with both new and
existing partners will add new energy and capabilities to ensure the entire
world can benefit from our journey of exploration and discovery.
Learn more about the Artemis Accords at:
*https://www.nasa.gov/artemisaccords* [2]
-end-
*Press Contacts*
Jackie McGuinness / Claire O’Shea
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
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[1] https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-international-partners-advance-cooperation-with-first-signings-of-artemis-accords
[2] https://www.nasa.gov/artemisaccords