A leader in the field of space exploration and a government agency join forces to improve access to space and expand opportunities for commercial endeavors in their respective countries
FREMONT, CA: "This is a momentous occasion, not only for our teams at Voyager and Nanoracks but also for the growing space economies of each and every one of these countries," said Jeffrey Manber, President of International and Space Stations at Voyager. "We look forward to working closely with the space agencies in Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and potentially more countries in the region to support their current space initiatives and work together to make future commercial space platforms accessible.”
During the International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Voyager Space, one of the global leaders in space exploration, and Nanoracks revealed that they had signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Colombian Space Agency, El Salvador Aerospace Institute, Mexican Space Agency, Guatemalan Association of Space Sciences and Engineering, and Costa Rican startup Orbital Space Technologies.
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Nanoracks and Voyager signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand access to space and further commercial space opportunities within their respective countries.
"This is a major initiative to help ensure that as we move towards commercial space stations, the doors are open for countries that are emerging space nations," says David Marsh, Vice President of Strategy at Nanoracks. "Nanoracks has been focused on making space accessible since day one, and we are proud to carry the legacy forward from the International Space Station to Starlab. We cannot wait to get to work with our friends from the Latin America region."
"Not only is this agreement an essential step in supporting the development of Starlab and other future ISS experiments, it is also an opportunity in the new space age to be in the space with some of Colombia's key space initiatives, including our GreenSat CubeSat project, our Vision Agro program, and our Aprendiendo con Galileo program and education," said Pilar Zamora Acevedo, executive director at the Colombian Space Agency by private initiative. "We are eager to begin working closely with the Voyager and Nanoracks teams and help accelerate growth for our country in the space industry."
Colombian space activities will be promoted in this agreement, and plans will be developed for Starlab and the George Washington Carver Science Park (GWCSP). In collaboration, the companies will advance space technology and capabilities for Voyager and its portfolio companies, support near-term space activities in Colombia, and grow cooperation with the country's space, commercial, and scientific communities.
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to support efforts around Starlab and the GWCSP and to leverage the unique capabilities of Voyager, and its portfolio companies, to plan for future Salvadoran payloads, equipment, and astronauts," said Luis Alfaro, president, and CEO of ESAI. "We look forward to sharing knowledge and collaborating on the future of commercial space activities within the North Triangle of Central America and beyond."
"Signing this MoU with Voyager Space is essential in order to further the integration of Mexico to the international space community and promotes the effective development of space activities within our country," said Dr. Salvador Landeros Ayala, Director General of the Mexican Space Agency. "By joining forces, we will be able to execute on our joint objectives in a timely manner and change the course of our future in space for the better."
