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Voyager Space and Nanoracks Sign MOUs with Five Latin American Space Agencies

Sept. 18, 2022

 Voyager Space  and its operating company Nanoracks have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Colombian Space Agency, El Salvador Aerospace Institute, the Mexican Space Agency, the Guatemalan Association of Space Sciences and Engineering, and the Costa Rican startup Orbital Space Technologies. Nanoracks and Voyager signed an individual MoU with each agency, with the intent of opening up access to space and furthering commercial space opportunities within the respective countries.

"This is a momentous occasion, not only for our teams at Voyager and Nanoracks but also for the growing space economies of each and every one of these countries," said Jeffrey Manber, President of International and Space Stations at Voyager. "We look forward to working closely with the space agencies in Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and potentially more countries in the region to support their current space initiatives and work together to make future commercial space platforms accessible.

"This is a major initiative to help ensure that as we move towards commercial space stations, the doors are open for countries that are emerging space nations," says David Marsh, Vice President of Strategy at Nanoracks. "Nanoracks has been focused on making space accessible since day one, and we are proud to carry the legacy forward from the International Space Station to Starlab. We cannot wait to get to work with our friends from the Latin America region."

Colombian Space Agency

This agreement outlines support of projects and plans for the continued development of space activities in Colombia as well as participation in Starlab and George Washington Carver Science Park (GWCSP) planning efforts. By working together, the companies will support near term space activities in Colombia, grow cooperation with the space, commercial, and scientific communities within the country and continue to advance the future of space technologies and capabilities for Voyager and its portfolio companies.

"Not only is this agreement an essential step in supporting the development of Starlab and other future ISS experiments, it is also an opportunity in the new space age to be in the space with some of Colombia's key space initiatives, including our GreenSat CubeSat project, our Vision Agro program, and our Aprendiendo con Galileo program and education," said Pilar Zamora Acevedo, executive director at the Colombian Space Agency by private initiative. "We are eager to begin working closely with the Voyager and Nanoracks teams and help accelerate growth for our country in the space industry."

El Salvador Aerospace Institute (ESAI)

This agreement is to help expand space exploration activities in collaboration with businesses, institutions, non-governmental and government agencies within El Salvador, which includes the development of the STEAM framework of knowledge with social benefits for the Salvadoran economy and its citizens. This agreement also supports cooperation and collaboration with ESAI and Nanoracks for Starlab and the GWCSP.

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to support efforts around Starlab and the GWCSP and to leverage the unique capabilities of Voyager, and its portfolio companies, to plan for future Salvadoran payloads, equipment, and astronauts," said Luis Alfaro, president and CEO of ESAI. "We look forward to sharing knowledge and collaborating on the future of commercial space activities within the North Triangle of Central America and beyond."

Mexican Space Agency

This agreement will explore projects and plans for future space activities in Mexico, including satellites, lunar payloads, and youth engagement efforts while building technical expertise and expanding the economic base of Mexico. Similar to the other MoUs, this agreement will also allow the Mexican Space Agency to participate in the development of Starlab and provide input for elements of the GWCSP.

"Signing this MoU with Voyager Space is essential in order to further the integration of Mexico to the international space community and promotes the effective development of space activities within our country," said Dr. Salvador Landeros Ayala, Director General of the Mexican Space Agency. "By joining forces, we will be able to execute on our joint objectives in a timely manner and change the course of our future in space for the better."

Guatemalan Association of Space Sciences and Engineering (AGICE)

This MoU is intended to support space activities in Guatemala with a specific focus on educational programs. In addition to collaborating on near-term support for the Association's objectives and programs, the AGICE will also have the opportunity to participate in Starlab and GWCSP.

"There is a growing need and interest in space from the Guatemalan community and we are eager to continue to build upon this momentum with Voyager," said Katherinne Herrera Jordan, president of AGICE. "Voyager and Nanoracks are making waves with the development of Starlab while simultaneously moving the future of commercial space forward. We welcome the chance to collaborate with them and extend our reach in the space industry."

Orbital Space Technologies

This agreement is with Costa Rica's first space startup and will support the development of additional capabilities and technologies within the growing space sector in Costa Rica, helping to launch new space initiatives and eventual ground station services in the region. The MoU also allows for the participation in Starlab and GWCSP.

"It's an exciting step for us to sign this agreement with Voyager and move forward in furthering the development of the space sector in Costa Rica and Central America," said Valeria Dittel, CEO of Orbital Space Technologies. "We are hopeful that this collaboration will reap massive benefits for our region, not only to establish ourselves as a strong force in the industry but also to support key initiatives such as access to microgravity experimentation in Latin America."