New Opportunities for Ukraine in Space Exploration
Ukraine has taken a significant step in space exploration by gaining access to the European Union's Copernicus program, which provides satellite data for monitoring the environment, climate change, and emergency management. This was reported by the news agency 'Ukrinform'.
The agreement signed between Ukraine and the EU in Brussels under the Association Council grants Ukraine participation in components of the Copernicus program on par with EU member states, except for certain security-related components.
This agreement also includes Ukraine's association with other parts of the space program, notably 'Space Weather', which allows monitoring phenomena in the space environment that can affect satellites and infrastructure. Another important initiative is 'Near-Earth Objects', which tracks asteroids and other objects that pose a threat to Earth.
Ukrainian representatives will have the right to observe committees making decisions on these programs, although they will not have voting rights. This collaboration fosters the development of space technologies in Ukraine, and European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius described the document as 'the first step' towards Ukraine's integration into EU space programs.