What will African countries’ ratification of the NASA Artemis Accords mean?
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Artemis Accords were signed by Rwanda and Nigeria last week outside of the US-Africa meeting.
They are now the first African countries to sign on to the agreements that aim to create sustainable, safe, fair, and open space exploration.
Joseph Abakunda, the Chief Strategy Officer of Rwanda’s Space Agency, joined Newsday.
In reference to Rwanda’s desire to use space exploration to address domestic issues, he says: “Space is not the first nor the last technology that Rwanda has experimented with. However, it’s worth a shot if Rwanda believes it would help its inhabitants in the long run.”
“Rwanda is thrilled to be a member of this agreement. The use of space technologies is becoming more and more important for sustainable development “Paul Kagame, president of Rwanda, remarked As we reach for the stars, let’s make sure that future generations will benefit from humankind as a whole from space exploration.
In order to advance health programs, the Biden administration has committed nearly $20 billion, including $11.5 billion to fight HIV and AIDS, $2 billion to fight malaria, and $2 billion to support reproductive health and child care.
According to a fact sheet released by the White House, “U.S. investments and collaborations on health in Africa have saved millions of lives, strengthened health systems, and improved Africa’s and the world’s readiness for current and future health security threats.”
Private companies play a key role in the U.S. and African space agencies. Rwanda’s space program is relatively new, officially starting in 2021 after three years of development. It is one of the few space agencies in east Africa. Rwanda Space Agency and ATLAS Space Operations teamed to contribute a teleport and satellite antenna for use by the global space community.
