On April 12, 2024, the United States and New Zealand held their first bilateral Space Dialogue in Washington, D.C., marking a significant milestone in the 150th anniversary of their space relationship. The key outcomes of the dialogue include:
- Emphasis on the growth of the commercial space sector and the changing role of government in commercial space activities
- Intent to continue cooperation on issues such as launch, payloads, and space situational awareness
- Potential for expanded cooperation on policy and regulatory interoperability related to commercial space
- Discussions on opportunities to advance scientific education, research, and space cooperation
- Recognition of New Zealand’s geographic advantages in enabling frequent and responsive launches for U.S. industry and government agencies which added “strategic resilience” to launch capacity
- Signing of an updated Memorandum of Cooperation between the New Zealand Space Agency and the Federal Aviation Administration
- Announcement of the first round of joint research projects between New Zealand research institutes and NASA centers, focusing on Earth observation
- Appreciation for the internship opportunities provided by NASA and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory to high-achieving New Zealand students
- Launch of MethaneSAT, a unique partnership involving government, non-profit, academic, and commercial organizations from both countries
The dialogue also included a commercial roundtable, co-chaired by the New Zealand Minister for Space and the Director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Space Commerce, which highlighted existing partnerships and opportunities for stronger bilateral cooperation between the two countries' commercial space sectors. You can read the full statement on the U.S. State Department’s website.
