United States and Argentina Sign a Space Cooperation Agreement

October 25, 2011

Ambassador Martinez and Charles Bolden with president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. © Dept. of State.

NASA’s top official, Administrator Charles Bolden Jr., met with President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner on October 25. During the meeting, a Framework Agreement on Cooperation in the Peaceful Use of Outer Space was signed between the governments of the United States and Argentina. Also present during the signing ceremony at Casa Rosada were Ambassador Vilma Martinez, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship Hector Timerman and CONAE Executive Director Conrado Varotto.

 “NASA has a long history of cooperation with Argentina; having signed nearly 50 agreements with various government organizations in the last 50 years. The most recent example of this collaboration has been the launching of the SAC-D/Aquarius mission focused on the study of earth ocean salinity.” said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden.

The agreement signed by Ambassador Martinez and Minister Timerman aims to establish the legal framework for cooperation on space activities building upon the efforts of three previous agreements which provided for the joint launching of four satellites, including the SAC-D/Aquarius.

Launched in June from the Vandenberg base in California, the SAC-D/Aquarius is already providing earth science data about ocean salinity considered particularly important for climate change calculations.

During the visit, Administrator Bolden also met Argentine youth to talk about the GLOBE program (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment). CONAE Executive Director Varotto and National GLOBE Program Coordinator, Maria Marta Daneri were also present at the meeting.

Under the GLOBE program, including 133 schools from all over the country, students take environmental measurements according to specifically-designed protocols to contribute to scientific research.

Collected data are shared with GLOBE worldwide network to create world maps and databases used by students from different fields such as math, technology, geography and languages, among others, and by the scientific community in general for research purposes.

U.S. agencies NASA, NOAA and NSF are partners under the GLOBE Program and provide counsel to GLOBE´s teaching community while the material furnished by GLOBE students is used in turn by the scientific community.