US, Japan to Sign Agreement on Space Cooperation

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said his country and Japan will sign a new agreement of space cooperation later this week.

“Later this week, (Japanese) Foreign Minister (Yoshimasa Hayashi) and I will sign a new agreement on US-Japan cooperation in space,” Blinken said.

Blinken pointed out that the agreement will include joint research and sending an expedition to the Moon.

Previously, the United States and Japan announced their ambition for managing to send a Japanese astronaut to the Moon, in a document that will be issued during US President Joe Biden’s visit to Tokyo.

According to Japanese Kyodo news, the announcement, issued by Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, will be a part of the “Artemis” project; an international project led by the US that aims to strengthen lunar exploration and eventually send astronauts on missions to Mars.

The "Artemis" lunar exploration project, proposed by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is the successor to the "Apollo" program that sent 12 astronauts to the moon from 1969 to 1972.