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A Russian astronaut aboard the Soyuz-TMA spacecraft. (Photo: Reuter) |
The United States and Russia have recently signed an agreement to protect technology related to the satellite launch program known as “Sea Launch.”
On March 21, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Robert Joseph and Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Yuriy Ushakov signed this agreement in Washington.
The U.S. Department of State stated that this agreement facilitates greater cooperation and involvement from Russia in the use of outer space for peaceful and commercial purposes.
The “Sea Launch” project is a consortium led by American company Boeing, which includes companies from Norway, Russia, and Ukraine.
This consortium conducts commercial satellite launches from a platform located in international waters of the Pacific Ocean. Since its inception in 1999, the project has carried out 19 satellite launches to date.
