We must harness space for sustainable development

Many UN agencies use space data as a tool to promote global sustainable development, yet the use of space has barely been acknowledged, let alone understood, by decision makers at the various UN and international meetings on the environment and development. Following discussions held at a side-event to the 2012 Rio+20 conference, the author highlights the various ways space applications can be used to meet the challenges (in resource use, disaster management, environmental protection and climate change) of sustainable development and urges policy makers to inform themselves of the benefits of space applications.     

The EVA space suit development in Europe

The progress of the European EVA space suit predevelopment activities has resulted in an improved technical reference concept, which will form the basis for a start of the Phase C/D development work in 1992. Technology development work over the last 2 years has resulted in a considerable amount of test data and a better understanding of the characteristics and behaviour of individual parts of the space suit system, in particular in the areas of suits' mobility and life support functions. This information has enabled a consolidation of certain design features on the one hand, but also led to the challenging of some of the design solutions on the other hand. While working towards an improved situation with respect to the main design drivers mass and cost, the technical concept has been improved with respect to functional safety and ease of handling, taking the evolving Hermes spaceplane requirements into consideration. Necessary hardware and functional redundancies have been implemented taking the operational scenario with Hermes and Columbus servicing into consideration. This paper presents the latest design status of the European EVA space suit concept, with particular emphasis on crew safety, comfort and productivity, in the frame of the predevelopment work for the European Space Agency.     

Fast-track development of space technology in China

China's space industry faces challenges from the rapid growth in domestic demand for satellite services, international competition from the other members of the space club and infiltration of its domestic markets by foreign space companies. To counter this the country is making space a priority in current plans to improve national economic and social development, paying particular attention to applications satellites. Policies aimed at accelerating development include increasing state support for space, improving management - especially of invested funds - creating a better infrastructure and aiming for serial production of satellite components. It is acknowledged that much can be learnt from other countries and China is keen to pursue cooperative endeavours, but it intends also to retain its independence.     

航天用SoC发展思考

在分析航天应用需求及SoC技术特点的基础上,讨论SoC技术在航天应用的可行性,针对航天用SoC对设计、验证及抗辐照等方面的特殊要求,结合目前国内航天用SoC的发展现状,提出整机与电路相结合、设计与应用相结合、立足未来跨越式发展及兼顾目前行业需求相结合的航天应用SoC的发展思路.     

Reorganization of the space development structure in Japan

At the end of 2002 a new law was passed to create a single space agency for Japan out of the merger of NASDA and NAL with ISAS. The new agency will be an independent administrative institution with day-to-day autonomy from the government. The authors provide the background to the decision to restructure Japan's space development and describe the goals, organization and scope of activities of the agency. Steps have been taken to counter concerns that consolidating the three existing organizations could hamper the conduct of basic research.     

Humans versus robots for space exploration and development

Every few years, the eternally resurgent question of whether humans or robots should be adopted for space exploration is dusted off, with arguments on both sides leading nowhere. I argue that this debate is misplaced—there is a well-defined distribution of tasks across humans and the machine, and this distribution is of an evolutionary nature. This article uses a variety of examples to illustrate where robotic capabilities are most appropriate and where human attributes cannot be dispensed with. It further suggests that, even as robotics and artificial intelligence are becoming more sophisticated, they will not be able to deal with ‘thinking-on-one's-feet’ tasks that require generalisations from past experience. Given the current and perceived status of robotics research, I submit that there will be a critical role for humans in space for the foreseeable future.     

Korea''s space development programme: Policy and law

Korea now has a rapidly expanding space programme with exploration aspirations. The government is giving priority to the aerospace industry and, to put it on a better footing, recently enacted a New Space Exploitation Promotion Act. The early history and current and future development of Korea's space activities are briefly described in advance of a comprehensive presentation of the contents of the Act, including launch licensing, liability, registration of space objects, use of satellite information, astronaut rescue, third party liability insurance and establishment of institutions and plans to assist the Korean space effort. A call is made for Asian countries to unite and further their space development through a regional space agency.     

Inflection points in the development of energy in space

Basing his comments around a report on the Space Power Systems 1997 conference, ‘Energy and Space for Humanity’, held in Montreal, 24-28 August 1997, Richard Boudreault describes the progress made in getting the concept of power from space accepted by the terrestrial utilities. Increasing worries about the sustainability of current power sources together with deregulation of power distribution make space power more attractive. However, the high cost of access to space is a barrier, though this is starting to fall.     

国外航天元器件发展经验简析

从组织保障、资源配置、技术支撑保障等方面,简析美国、日本以及欧洲加强航天元器件管理、保障航天元器件的高可靠和稳定供应的实践经验与具体做法.     

空间推进技术需求与发展分析

在分析国内外空间推进技术（内容涵盖了星、船、弹、箭、器等领域）现状的基础上,梳理了空间推进技术的发展趋势和对我国的启示。在对未来任务和技术需求分析的基础上,对空间推进技术的发展趋势进行了预测,对存在的差距进行了分析,提出了发展思路和重点发展方向建议。     

美军天基通用数据链及发展

现代战争的作战样式已经发展到由指挥控制系统、侦察监视系统、联合火力打击系统等各种系统构成的作战体系的对抗.而这种体系对抗的胜负是取决于所有参战武器装备所构成的体系的整体作战效能.这就在客观上要求不同的武器系统之间实现互联、互通和互操作,各种资源被充分共享.通过数据链,可以将众多复杂的武器平台以及指挥控制平台有机地连为一体,实现战场态势共享,缩短决策时间,提高指挥控制速度及协同作战能力,发挥体系的整体作战效能.天基通用数据链(Space CDL)作为美军“作战响应空间”(ORS)计划下重点发展的关键技术之一,成功验证了成像侦察卫星的战术应用能力,并将成为美军构建多源战场情报体系的重要手段.     

Canada's early space policy development 1958–1974

In the absence of a mature body of literature on the origins and evolution of the Canadian space program, recent official publications have arbitrarily chosen 1974, the year that Canada's civilian space policy was ratified in the House of Commons, as the popular date of origin. However, this start date ignores several significant policy documents that influenced Canada's space program development prior to that year. This article examines policy that shaped Canada's space program during the ‘golden age’ of space exploration (1958–1974), and will demonstrate that the true origins of the Canadian space program date back much earlier that the current perception.     

国外空间推进技术现状和发展趋势

空间推进技术通常可分为常规化学推进、电推进、微推进和新型推进4大类。常规化学推进是目前航天器的主要推进方式,性能继续提升。电推进已成功证明其优势和可靠性,在各种卫星和深空探测器上大量应用,且朝更宽泛功率的方向发展。蓬勃发展的微小卫星对微小推力、小质量、低功耗的微推进提出了迫切需求。无毒化学推进、太阳帆推进、核推进等新型推进技术正在加紧研制或进行空间飞行试验。首先综述国外卫星和深空探测器等航天器的各类空间推进技术应用和研究现状,然后分析其发展趋势,最后提出对我国空间推进技术的发展建议。     

国外航天元器件发展现状与思考

以航天元器件供应与采购问题为中心,分析国外航天元器件发展现状和国外宇航机构在航天元器件发展方面的主要做法与成功经验,并在借鉴吸收的基础上,结合我国的实际,对我国航天元器件的发展提出建议.     

空间应用标准的现状分析与发展思路

通过对空间应用技术,即包括卫星遥感、卫星通信、卫星导航定位等三个方面的技术发展和相关标准现状的分析与综述,提出我国空间应用标准化工作的发展思路.     

Commercial space and international trade rules: an assessment of the WTO''s influence on the sector

This paper explores how the WTO process may affect the development of commercial space industries in Asia. It does so by examining how the ever greater reach of trade rules may constrain industrial and technology policies aimed at developing an indigenous space capability. The role of the USA is also examined, as it is the US industry that will be among the most affected by increased competition in satellite and launcher services.     

Capacity building in space technology development: A new initiative within the United Nations programme on space applications

Since 1971 the UN Programme on Space Applications, implemented by the Office for Outer Space Affairs, has been organizing workshops, symposiums and expert meetings and providing training opportunities in the practical applications of space technology. In 2009 the Office launched the Basic Space Technology Initiative (BSTI). The BSTI encompasses a range of activities in support of capacity building in space technology development in response to the growing interest of academic and governmental organizations in many countries to establish basic, indigenous capabilities to develop nano- and small satellites. Considerations such as the education and training of experts, the creation of required testing and building infrastructure, opportunities for international cooperation and the applicable legal and regulatory frameworks are therefore of particular interest to these organizations. The BSTI aims to assist them with their efforts. This paper describes the origins of the initiative, the activities that have been conducted to date and the work planned for 2011 and beyond.     

Ukrainian space policy — contributing to national economic development

Following Ukraine's 1991 declaration of independence and the disintegration of the USSR, Ukraine inherited a third of the Soviet Union's space industry. This paper presents an overview of the main features of Ukraine's current policy on the exploitation of this capability as a factor in the transformation of its economy. It illustrates how the policy is being realized in the areas of launch systems, Earth observation, satellite communications and international relations, and concludes that Ukraine's strengths in the space field are counterbalanced by obstacles which must be faced, both within the country and externally.