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Costa Rican Space Agency

Space Agencies of Latin America and the Caribbean

The Costa Rican Space Agency, known by the Spanish acronym AEC, is a national space research and development bureau based in San Jose, Costa Rica, and the first space agency to be created and operated by a Central American nation. Law 9960 authorizing its creation was passed by the Constitutional Congress of Costa Rica by a vote of 37 to 3 on 8 February 2021 and signed on 27 March by President Carlos Alvarado Quesada; the agency has autonomy as a non-state, legally established public entity but is subject to the guidelines of the Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunications, and its board held its first formal meeting on 5 August 2021. Its stated goals include peaceful space exploration and development, encouraging Costa Rican companies to compete in the sector, and complying with international law.

Facts
Agency Type
Non-state, legally established public entity for space research and development 1
Founded Year
2021 1
Headquarters
San Jose, Costa Rica 1
Annual Budget
Funded by law at a mandatory 0.4 percent of the free surplus of non-financial public sector institutions, settled at the end of the previous economic period, plus donations and self-generated income, rather than a fixed appropriation (Law 9960). 1
Statutory funding formula, not a fixed annual figure.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Costa Rican Space Agency
Wikipedia
  • Wikipedia second paragraph, autonomy clause
    autonomy as a non-state, legally established public entity
  • Wikipedia second paragraph, Law 9960 sentence
    Law 9960 authorizing the creation of the agency was passed by the Constitutional Congress of Costa Rica by a vote of 37-3 on February 8, 2021, and signed on March 27 by President Carlos Alvarado Quesada.
  • Wikipedia lead paragraph, first sentence
    is a national space research and development bureau based in San Jose, Costa Rica.
  • Wikipedia final paragraph, 0.4 percent funding sentence
    it will receive a mandatory 0.4% of the free surplus settled at the end of the previous economic period from non-financial public sector institutions.
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