Minister Akunis: The signing of the agreement on the day it was decided to label Israeli products is of great importance
The German Space Agency (DLR) and the Israel Space Agency at the Ministry of Science signed today, November 11, a cooperation agreement between the countries in the field of civil space, in a solemn ceremony in Tel Aviv. As part of the agreement, signed by the Director of the Israeli Space Agency, Menachem Kidron, and Dr. Gerd Grupa, Deputy Head of the German Space Agency, the parties will cooperate on research and technological development for the use of space for the benefit of humanity.
Among the topics on which it will be possible to collaborate: joint research in the fields of space observations, space missions, communication, navigation and deep space. The agreement will enable cooperation between the German and Israeli space industries, the exchange of scientific information and data, joint workshops and conferences, the possibility of developing space vehicles and satellites, spacecraft, educational activities, and more. The purpose of the agreement is to provide an infrastructure for cooperation between the agencies, from which agreements for cooperation in specific programs to be decided upon by the parties will be drawn up.
The last agreement with the Germans was signed in 1995 and now, after the visit of the head of the German Space Agency to Israel on the occasion of the World Space Convention last October, the parties have decided to renew it.
Science Minister Ofir Akunis said upon signing the agreement: "We are proud that the German Space Agency also sees Israel as a natural partner for research and development in the field of space. Israel was and will remain a pioneer. The scientists and space industry people on both sides will be able to gain a lot from the cooperation. The importance of the agreement is not only in its signing but in the timing of the signing. On the day that the European Union decided on labeling products and casts a resounding moral stain on Europe's forehead, Germany and Israel sign an agreement for cooperation," Akonis explained.
The German Space Agency is one of the main bodies currently operating in Europe in the field of research and development in space. One of the agency's flagship projects is the development and operation of the Philae probe, which landed for the first time in history on a comet, in November 2014.
The current agreement joins a series of agreements signed in the past month between the Israeli Space Agency at the Ministry of Science and foreign space agencies, which includes agreements with NASA, the French Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency, thus Israel has completed a process of signing agreements with four of the leading space agencies in the West.
One response
Beautiful. Just try not to bring politics into science.