Türkiye becomes 71st signatory of Artemis Accords
Türkiye has officially joined the Artemis Accords, becoming the 71st country to sign the international framework for peaceful and cooperative exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond, Qazinform News Agency cites Anadolu Agency.
The Accords were signed at NASA headquarters in Washington by Turkish Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman hosted the ceremony and welcomed Türkiye as the newest signatory.
NASA, the U.S. State Department, and seven founding nations established the Artemis Accords in 2020.
Principles of the Accords include peaceful exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond, transparency in activities, sharing scientific data, mutual assistance in space missions and protection of heritage sites.
In 2024, Alper Gezeravci became Türkiye’s first astronaut, conducting research aboard the ISS.
Later, Tuva Atasever flew on Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity.
To note, Türkiye is preparing for its first lunar mission, AYAP-1, joining the select group of nations pursuing Moon exploration.
Türkiye will host the International Astronautical Congress in Antalya this October, bringing together dozens of Artemis Accords signatories to discuss the future of space cooperation.
It was earlier reported, NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has launched on a three-month journey to its final orbit, where it will investigate some of the universe’s biggest mysteries, including dark matter, dark energy and planets beyond our solar system.
