Costa Rica's own rocket lab in the northwestern Guanacaste province blasted into another new endeavor yesterday by signing an agreement with the U.S. Air and Space Administration (NASA) to use the lab's technology.

Astronaut and national hero Franklin Chang was flanked by President Oscar Arias as they announced this latest advance at Ad Astra they say is putting Costa Rica on the technological world's map.

The agreement creates the framework for future projects using the plasma technology being developed at Chang's lab by addressing issues that could potentially stall them, such as intellectual property, according to a statement from Casa Presidencial.

Chang said the team at the lab is celebrating the agreement as a solid way to close out the year, thanking the National Learning Institute for helping to train engineers to keep it running.