The signing ceremony was held in the presence of Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology Orit Parkash HaCohen, Israeli Ambassador to the USA Michael Herzog, NASA head Senator William (Bill) Nelson and Director of the Israel Space Agency Brigadier General (Ret.) Uri Oron. In this way, Israel will become a partner in the quest to establish a permanent human presence in deep space - on the moon and beyond
As part of the Israeli Space Week events Today, Wednesday, January 26.1.2022, XNUMX, an agreement was signed for cooperation between the Israeli Space Agency and the American Space Agency in the Artemis program to return humans to the Moon and Mars. The agreement establishes principles for cooperation in space exploration and civilian use of the moon, Mars, comets and asteroids for peaceful purposes.
The agreements were signed by the head of NASA William (Bill) Nelson and the director of the Israel Space Agency Brigadier General (Ret.) Uri Oron. The ceremony was held in the presence of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology and Israel's Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Orit Parkash-HaCohen:I congratulate the head of the space agency for signing the Artemis agreement and Israel joining the most ambitious, complex and expensive space program in the world. Signing this agreement now is another building block in our relationship with the US, our greatest friend in the world. The essence of the Artemis program: to do something bold, and inspiring. To land people - women and men - on the moon once more, after 5 decades. To see how the moon can become more than a stopover, but a place to stay for a significant period of time, in order to enable developments and research that cannot be developed anywhere else. Israel can and should play a central role in this dream. Israel can contribute in any field related to space - including the use of Israeli space suits on the first flight already this coming March. This is further proof that technology and innovation have an important diplomatic role. The Israeli mind has a name that crosses borders and continents, even the sky is not the limit.'
The Artemis agreements are led by NASA and are currently joined by 13 countries in addition to the USA: Australia, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Italy, Brazil, Great Britain, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, South Korea and Canada. Israel is the 15th country in the agreements. The signing is expected to allow Israel to integrate into the ambitious Artemis program in a variety of collaborations in research and science alongside strengthening commercial and economic collaborations in the field of space between the space industries of all the signatory countries. The agreement is an important step from a political point of view for Israel and symbolizes its joining a group of countries that have established principles for cooperation and space exploration for peaceful purposes. The signing process was led by the Ministries of Innovation, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Prior to the signing ceremony, the Israeli government approved about a week ago the decision to join the "Artemis" agreements.
Brigadier General (Res.) Uri Oron, Director of the Israel Space Agency: "I am proud to sign the Artemis Agreements today, as authorized by the Government of Israel, thus officially joining the country to the groundbreaking program led by NASA to return manned flights to the moon in the coming years. Today, Israel joins the 14 countries that share similar values regarding the future use of the resources of the moon, Mars and other celestial bodies, in an open, peace-loving manner and for the benefit of all humanity. Our joining opens up a wide field of diverse possibilities - technological, business and policy and proves once again Israel's position in the fields of innovation and technology. Already in the coming months, in the launch of the Artemis 1 mission, Israel will take part by means of a special suit against radiation, the result of the development of the Israeli company Stamard with the assistance of the Space Agency. Today, space once again proves the enormous potential inherent in it for Israel in particular and for the world as a whole in the fields of innovation, technology and international diplomacy. I am convinced that through the Artemis program, all of humanity will advance, not only in space but also here on Earth. The Israel Space Agency will work to ensure as much as possible the collaborations in research, science, innovation and the economy within the framework of the Artemis agreements between Israeli bodies and our international colleagues"
The main goal of the "Artemis" program, which is the most complex and expensive of NASA's programs, is to land humans on the moon as early as 2025 and later even to establish a permanent manned research station. Although NASA is the one leading the program, the countries that are signatories to the Artemis agreements are also mobilizing means to achieve its goals. The spacecraft that will carry the astronauts from the Earth to the Moon will most likely be the Orion spacecraft, which NASA is developing both for flights to the space station and for deep space missions, primarily flights to the Moon and in the future possibly also manned flights to Mars.
Prior to the agreement signed today, Israel is actually already taking part in "Artemis 1" which is expected to be launched in March 2022. Experiments with the Astrorad protective suit of the Stamard company supported by the Israeli Space Agency, began already in January of last year at the International Space Station. The suit is expected to play a central role in the Artemis program, as the astronauts who will operate in deep space will need protection from the dangerous solar radiation.
The unmanned Artemis 1 mission, which is planned for the moon, will be the first time that the technology's effectiveness against radiation in deep space will be tested. This flight will be unmanned but will carry two female dolls: one "Zohar" who will wear the protective suit, and the other, "Helga", who will not wear it. After the return of the two dolls loaded with radiation sensors, it will be possible to compare them and check the effectiveness of the vest.
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One response
They never landed on the moon in vain not 60 years ago, this is another propaganda like Rabin's murder