S. Korean, U.S. space agencies sign joint statement on space research cooperation


The Korea Aerospace Administration (KASA) said Sunday it has signed a joint statement with the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for cooperation in various areas involving space and aerospace research.

The statement was signed on Thursday at the NASA headquarters in Washington on the occasion of talks held between KASA chief Yoon Young-bin and NASA Administrator Bill Nelson in the U.S. capital.

The two sides discussed cooperation across various areas of space and aerospace development, including deep space and lunar exploration, and agreed to strengthen their leadership on the international stage.

They also committed to identifying innovative projects with high potential in fields such as space life sciences, lunar surface science and joint use of deep space antennas.

Additionally, they confirmed their intent to cooperate on space sustainability, including developing standards for information sharing related to space debris reduction, space traffic management and space environment
protection.

The two agencies also signed a separate agreement to jointly design a mission concept for operations at the so-called Lagrange point L4, where the gravitational forces of the sun and Earth are balanced.

KASA also said it plans to discuss signing a separate research agreement with NASA to expand Korea’s participation in the U.S. Artemis moon exploration program.

Source: Yonhap News Agency