Photo: NASA

During a meeting earlier this week at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Israel Space Agency Director General Zvi Kaplan signed a joint statement of intent to expand the agencies’ cooperation in civil space activities.

The signing followed a meeting between Bolden, Kaplan and Daniel Hershkowitz, Israel’s minister of science and technology, expanding on discussions that took place when Bolden visited Israel in January.

The agencies agreed to identify new joint activities related to Earth and space science, life sciences, space exploration and other areas of mutual interest. The objective is to further scientific exchanges and motivate the next generation of scientists and engineers.

The two space agencies identified potential opportunities for bilateral cooperation, including space geodesy; hydrological observations and joint research; launch and range safety; remote sensing data cooperation; and use of the International Space Station for Israeli research and educational experiments.