As part of the Israeli Space Week events, an agreement was signed today (Wednesday) for cooperation between the Israel Space Agency and NASA in the "Artemis" program for landing humans on the moon and Mars.
The agreements were signed by NASA Head William (Bill) Nelson and Director of the Israel Space Agency Brigadier General (Res.) Uri Oron.
The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology and the Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Herzog.
The Artemis agreements are currently led by NASA and its members, along with the United States, 13 countries: Australia, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, South Korea and Canada.
Israel is the 15th country in the agreements.
The signing is expected to enable Israel to integrate into the ambitious Artemis program in a variety of research and science collaborations alongside strengthening commercial and economic collaborations in the field of space between the space industries of all the signed countries.
NASA's New Astronauts, December 2021, Photo: AP
The main purpose 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 to establish a manned and permanent research station. They are also mobilizing means to achieve its goals.
The spacecraft that will carry the astronauts from 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, chief among them flights to the moon and in the future possibly manned flights to Mars.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Orit Farkash-Hacohen, said after the signing of the agreements: "The essence of the Artemis program: to do something bold and inspiring. To land people - women and men - on the moon once again, after 5 decades. See how the moon can become more A stop, but a place to stay for a significant period of time, in order to allow developments and research that can not be developed anywhere else. "
Minister of Technology and Science Orit Farkash-Hacohen, Photo: Photo: The Israel Democracy Institute
Brigadier General (Res.) Uri Oron, Director of the Israel Space Agency, commented on the agency's accession to the ambitious program:
I am convinced that through the Artemis program, all of humanity will advance, not only in space but also here on Earth. "
The Israeli part of the first mission in the Artemis program
Prior to the agreement signed today, Israel is in fact already taking part in "Artemis 1", which is expected to be launched in March 2022. Trials of the Israeli Space Agency's Asteroid shield suit supported by the Israel Space Agency began in January last year at the International Space Station.
The suit is expected to play a key role in the Artemis program, as astronauts operating in deep space will need protection from dangerous solar radiation.
Director of the Israel Space Agency - on the right and CEO of Stamard with the Israeli Space Suit, Photo: Stamard
In the unmanned Artemis 1 mission, which is planned for the moon, this will be the first time that the effectiveness of the technology against radiation in deep space will be tested.
This flight will be unmanned but will carry two dolls in the shape of a woman: one "Zohar" who will wear the protective suit, and the other, "Helga", who will not wear it.
After the return of the two dolls laden with radiation sensors, it will be possible to compare them and test the effectiveness of the vest.
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