Building capacity in the basic space sciences in Southern Africa: Experiences and prospects

The basic space sciences and their supporting technologies underpin the ability of a country to utilise space applications programmes for development. By whatever measure is employed, Africa is under-represented in the international space science community. This paper reviews lessons learnt over the past 8 years with regard to sustainable capacity building in the region. At present there are a number of role-players in the space arena engaged in various capacity-building initiatives. We advocate that the emphasis of these initiatives should shift from fairly isolated capacity-building activities to comprehensive regional capacity-building programmes developed jointly by the different role-players. In order to develop such coordinated programmes, the establishment of a capacity-building forum involving the space community, the development sector and the developing countries in a region, is proposed.     

Transfer of space science and technology: A third world point of view

In contrast to the more common discussions on the how, where and when of transfer of space science and technology, we open a general discussion on the consequences of the space era in the developing countries and draw attention to the fact that space science and technology create a scientific and economic dependence on the industrially developed countries. Recommendations are made to render the space programs more beneficial to the Third World. These include : formation of local groups of high level space scientists and experts; instead of sophisticated transferred technology the use of space technologies appropriate to local economic and social status; services to the poorest fraction of the population and educational programs that protect the indigenous cultures.     

Experiences of the GDR in space sciences and technology

Following a historical review of the first activities of GDR scientists in the fields of space research, especially on astronomical and geodetical satellite-observations and in atmospheric and magnetospheric research, the growing scientific and increasingly efficient technological and economic benefits of the cooperation of the Academy of sciences and other scientific and technological institutions of the GDR within the Intercosmos-programme are described. Especially, the experiences in connection with remote sensing, of the cooperation with countries as Cuba and the Peoples Republic of Vietnam and of the common USSR - GDR manned spaceflight are discussed under the viewpoint of the mutual interests of developing and developed countries in the fields of space science and technology.     

高精度时间频率在空间科学技术中的应用探讨CSCD

自上世纪50年代原子频标出现以后,极大促进了科学技术的发展,随着原子频标的发展,高精度时间频率信息在空间科学技术中将发挥重要的作用。本文介绍了空间高精度时间频率在空间科学、基础物理以及卫星导航技术方面应用前景,并对国外正在开展的空间高精度时间频率技术方面的计划、准备开展的相关应用研究,以及对毫秒脉冲星守时技术也进行了初步探讨,最后给出了开展空间高精度时间频率技术研究的一些建议。     

Capacity building in regional space cooperation: Asia-pacific space cooperation organization

The increasing gap in the space capabilities of different countries has led to the need for capacity building in modern times. Space capacity building of countries without or with limited space capacity via international cooperation with advanced spacefaring nations is a good practice towards intragenerational equity among all spacefaring countries, and between spacefaring and non-spacefaring countries at the same period of time. A case study is used here to show the current situation of the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO) and its member states that are associated with their space capacity building. The study finds that neither the satellite technology development model developed by Wood and Weigel (2011) nor the model developed by Ercan and Kale (2017) is a good fit for the development of space capability in all of the developing countries. Therefore, using the APSCO member states as a case study may offer guidelines towards the space capacity building of other developing countries. Moreover, an in-depth analysis of the merits and flaws of APSCO’s capacity building programs through comparing them with similar projects carried out by the European Space Agency (ESA), the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) and some other countries is conducive to providing some references for regional cooperation in the field of space capacity building. While international space law and the APSCO Convention can provide the general principles for capacity building activities under the framework of APSCO, they are only relevant to the development of scientific and technological capacities for space and human resources rather than organizational development and legal frameworks. Some international soft laws can likewise provide guidance for the capacity building activities of APSCO and its member states in the areas of international direct television broadcasting, remote sensing and cooperative way. To enhance its and its member states’ space capabilities, APSCO, in the context of space commercialization and maintaining the long-term sustainability of outer space activities (LTSOSA), should establish a comprehensive internal regime that addresses scientific and technological capacity building for space, human resources, organizational development and legal frameworks, a flexible regime for international cooperation with other developed spacefaring nations and international organizations with relevant technical capabilities and an internal research center for space law, and actively expand its membership by embracing other economically or technologically developed spacefaring nations in the Asia-Pacific region.     

和平利用空间技术国际合作的现状和前景

本文较详细地介绍了当前应用最广和最成熟的三种空间技术:电信、气象、遥感领域中的国际合作的现状和发展趋势;并指出发展中国家在其现有的科技基础上,通过国际合作,培养一批空间技术和管理人才,配以适当的地面设施,就可获取空间技术所能带来的利益。     

Science Missions Using CubeSats

As the role of missions and experiments carried out in outer space becomes more and more essential in our understanding of many earthly problems, such as resource management, environmental problems, and disaster management, as well as space science questions, thanks to their lower cost and faster development process CubeSats can benefit humanity and therefore, young scientists and engineers have been motivated to research and develop new CubeSat missions. Not very long after their inception, CubeSats have evolved to become accepted platforms for scientific and commercial applications. The last couple of years showed that they are a feasible tool for conducting scientific experiments, not only in the Earth orbit but also in the interplanetary space. For many countries, a CubeSat mission could prompt the community and young teams around the world to build the national capacity to launch and operate national space missions. This paper presents an overview of the key scientific and engineering gateways opened up to the younger scientific community by the advent and adaptation of new technology into CubeSat missions. The role of cooperation and the opportunities for capacity-building and education are also explored. Thus, the present article also aims to provide useful recommendations to scientists, early-career researchers, engineers, students, and anyone who intends to explore the potential and opportunities offered by CubeSats and CubeSats-based missions.      

Status of space science and technology — An Australian perspective

The “Tyranny of Distance” has had a profound influence on Australian history and reaction to it has been an important factor in determining national scientific and technological goals. Because of its size and geographical remoteness, Australia is one of the countries to have gained substantially from the applications of space technology particularly in the fields of communications, meteorology and remote sensing. Australia is the fifth largest investor in INTELSAT which carries a major fraction of the nation's overseas telecommunications. A domestic satellite system, AUSSAT, is being acquired to improve telecommunications within the country. Australia is heavily dependent on satellite data for routine meteorological forecasting. Data from the Australian Landsat Station are in strong demand, particularly for mineral exploration. In the field of space science, Australia is collaborating with Canada and the United States in feasibility studies for STARLAB, a free-flying UV-optical one metre telescope proposed for launch by the US Space Shuttle beginning in 1989. These scientific and technological programs in which Australia is participating are all dependent upon the space programs of other nations and in describing the status of space science and technology from an Australian perspective some comments will be made on particular aspects of the space programs of the United States and Japan.     

Toward a global space exploration program: A stepping stone approach

In response to the growing importance of space exploration in future planning, the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) Panel on Exploration (PEX) was chartered to provide independent scientific advice to support the development of exploration programs and to safeguard the potential scientific assets of solar system objects. In this report, PEX elaborates a stepwise approach to achieve a new level of space cooperation that can help develop world-wide capabilities in space science and exploration and support a transition that will lead to a global space exploration program. The proposed stepping stones are intended to transcend cross-cultural barriers, leading to the development of technical interfaces and shared legal frameworks and fostering coordination and cooperation on a broad front. Input for this report was drawn from expertise provided by COSPAR Associates within the international community and via the contacts they maintain in various scientific entities. The report provides a summary and synthesis of science roadmaps and recommendations for planetary exploration produced by many national and international working groups, aiming to encourage and exploit synergies among similar programs. While science and technology represent the core and, often, the drivers for space exploration, several other disciplines and their stakeholders (Earth science, space law, and others) should be more robustly interlinked and involved than they have been to date. The report argues that a shared vision is crucial to this linkage, and to providing a direction that enables new countries and stakeholders to join and engage in the overall space exploration effort. Building a basic space technology capacity within a wider range of countries, ensuring new actors in space act responsibly, and increasing public awareness and engagement are concrete steps that can provide a broader interest in space exploration, worldwide, and build a solid basis for program sustainability. By engaging developing countries and emerging space nations in an international space exploration program, it will be possible to create a critical bottom-up support structure to support program continuity in the development and execution of future global space exploration frameworks. With a focus on stepping stones, COSPAR can support a global space exploration program that stimulates scientists in current and emerging spacefaring nations, and that will invite those in developing countries to participate—pursuing research aimed at answering outstanding questions about the origins and evolution of our solar system and life on Earth (and possibly elsewhere). COSPAR, in cooperation with national and international science foundations and space-related organizations, will advocate this stepping stone approach to enhance future cooperative space exploration efforts.     

Balloon research and cooperative programmes

Scientific ballooning as well as the use of balloons for operational projects, deserves and indeed enjoys a high degree of attention in developing countries. Balloon projects are in most cases relatively inexpensive and - besides the scientific merits in their own realm - lend themselves also as “training” projects for larger space programmes. An important aspect of scientific ballooning is the necessity of cooperation, in many cases on an international scale. Examples for these are given and the relevance of balloon projects for developing countries are discussed.     

联合国空间科学技术和应用讨论会在北京召开

<正> 一九八五年十月二十一日至二十九日,由联合国和中国政府共同组织的“联合国空间科学技术和应用讨论会”在北京举行。参加讨论会的有来自联合国、世界气象组织、国际电信联盟、欧洲空间局的代表,以及加拿大、捷克、法国、民主德国、联邦德国、印度、日本、马来西亚、尼日利亚、蒙古、菲律宾、波兰、泰国、美国、苏联和中国等国家代表共六十多人。     

Proposal for a United Nations Basic Space Technology Initiative

The United Nations Programme on Space Applications, implemented by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, promotes the benefits of space-based solutions for sustainable economic and social development. The Programme assists Member States of the United Nations to establish indigenous capacities for the use of space technology and its applications. In the past the Programme has primarily been focusing on the use of space applications and on basic space science activities. However, in recent years there has been a strong interest in a growing number of space-using countries to build space technology capacities, for example, the ability to develop and operate small satellites. In reaction to this development, the United Nations in cooperation with the International Academy of Astronautics has been organizing annual workshops on small satellites in the service of developing countries. Space technology related issues have also been addressed as part of various other activities of the Programme on Space Applications. Building on these experiences, the Office for Outer Space Affairs is now considering the launch of a new initiative, preliminarily titled the United Nations Basic Space Technology Initiative (UNBSTI), to promote basic space technology development. The initiative would be implemented in the framework of the Programme on Space Applications and its aim would be to help building sustainable capacities for basic space technology education and development, thereby advancing the operational use of space technology and its applications.     

空间科学任务及其特点综述

人类进入太空以来已经发射了近1万个人造航天器,其中大约10%执行的是空间科学和探测任务.近年来中国经济快速发展,提供了更多的基础研究经费,经济转型也对创新驱动发展提出了更高需求,中国对空间科学的投入开始逐年增加.2015年以来先后成功发射了悟空号、实践十号、墨子号和慧眼号4颗科学卫星,天宫2号空间实验室也成功实施了一系列空间科学实验.重要科学发现和成果正在不断地产出.空间科学卫星任务（或称计划）与应用卫星从提出到评价都有很大不同,因此有必要对其所具有的特点进行分析,从而引导空间科学界从科学团队、技术团队到管理团队提高认识,确保未来的空间科学任务发挥最大效益,获得最大科学产出.      

The United Nations Basic Space Science Initiative (UNBSSI)

Since 1991 the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs has been conducting a series of workshops on basic space science under its United Nations Programme on Space Applications. Up to 2004 the workshops focussed on capacity building efforts in basic space science, in particular for the benefit of developing countries. From 2005 onwards the workshops and their related activities contributed to the celebration of the International Heliophysical Year 2007. Together these activities and workshops constitute the United Nations Basic Space Science Initiative of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. This paper reflects on the achievements and outcomes of the Initiative and informs about considerations for its future evolution.     

大功率无电极高密度等离子体电磁推进概述

无电极高密度等离子体电磁推进技术已成为未来深空探测、载人航天和货运、太阳能电站以及航天器在轨服务与维护等空间任务中极具竞争力的核心推进技术之一。在梳理不同无电极等离子体电磁加速机制基础上,开展大功率无电极高密度等离子体电磁推进技术性能对比,给出新概念无电极场反构型电磁推进技术向未来超大功率拓展的优势和发展潜力,同步分析了该技术亟需解决的关键基础问题,旨在为中国新概念场反构型电磁推进技术的研发提供理论基础。     

推进先进航天计量保证体系的思考

建立了“四体系一平台”航天计量保证体系，成为保障航天型号研制生产的重要技术基础。面临科技创新、军民融合等战略发展机遇，航天计量将发挥自身优势，为型号产品研制生产和国防科技工业发展助力护航。     

Impact of space research and technology on small countries

Results of an analysis on impact of space research and technology on developing countries undertaken by the UNISPACE 82 Secretariat on base on national papers submitted by UN member countries to the Conference are reviewed.Experience concerning the implications of a co-operative program on satellite geodesy between the Astronomical Council of the USSR Academy of Sciences and several small countries of Africa, Asia and South America is discussed.     

2000年前我国空间材料科学试验设想

讨论空间环境对材料制备的影响;提出空间材料研究的四个发展阶段和各国空间材料制备现今处在研究发展阶段的观点;分析我国空间材料研究的状况、任务及试验的可能途径;叙述空间材料科学研究的内容;对2000年前我国空间材料试验提出初步设想。     

池沸腾现象中热毛细对流的成因

针对微重力条件下单组份液体池沸腾现象,探讨了有关热毛细效应作用及其成因的不同观点,指出正确描述气液相变界面两侧的温度关系是解决争议的关键.详细评述了现有的气液相变界面温度模型,发现气液相变的非平衡特征会导致气液界面上产生温度梯度,引起表面张力的显著差异,从而驱动热毛细对流的形成.但现有气液相变界面温度模型机理差异迥然,预测结果也差别很大,因此,需要更深入研究.      

Space research policies in advanced and developing countries

The motivations for the conduct of space research and the development of space research policies by different constituencies and different types of countries are analyzed. Concerning space research in developing countries, four main aspects are discussed: 1. The role of space research for the achievement of “critical mass” by research groups; 2. The role of space research in higher education; 3. The identification of space research problems to which a country can make significant contributions; and 4. Multinational cooperation among developing countries in space research.