The Moon Treaty: prospects for the future

1995 marks the 15th anniversary of the United States' debate over ratification of the 1979 Moon Treaty.¹ The 1994–1995 season also marks the 10th anniversary of the Moon Treaty's entry into force among the small number of countries that ratified it.² These two anniversaries are significant both in themselves and because they occur at a time of reexamination regarding the Moon Treaty. This article briefly reviews the history of the agreement, and its prospects over the next few years. It concludes with some suggestions for revisiting the troublesome question of property rights in celestial bodies.     

US and Soviet ballistic missile defence programmes : Implications for the 1972 ABM treaty

This article reviews the key provisions of the ABM Treaty and the major issues of interpretation which need to be resolved. The various phases of the US Strategic Defense Initiative are discussed, showing that permitted SDI research may cross over the prohibited development and testing beginning in 1988. Cooperative research with US allies is discussed in terms of the Treaty constraints. US and Soviet ballistic missile defence programmes are summarized and the major US and Soviet compliance issues, including the Krasnoyarsk radar, are reviewed. The author argues that limitations on defensive systems remain a precondition to limitations on offensive systems. The ABM Treaty should be enhanced by agreed interpretations, a separate ASAT treaty, and perhaps four amendments to the ABM Treaty.     

Extraterrestrial environmental impact assessments – A foreseeable prerequisite for wise decisions regarding outer space exploration,research and development

Although existing international instruments such as the Outer Space Treaty and Moon Agreement generally express sentiments for minimizing missions' extraterrestrial environmental impacts, they tend to be limited in scope, vague and generally unenforceable. There is no formal structure for assessing how and to what extent we affect those environments, no opportunity for public participation, no uniform protocol for documenting and registering the effects of our actions and no requirement to mitigate adverse impacts or take them into consideration in the decision-making process. Except for precautions limiting forward biological contamination and issues related to Earth satellites, environmental impact analysis, when done at all, remains focused on how missions affect the Earth and near-Earth environments, not how our actions affect the Moon, Mars, Europa, comets and other potential destinations. Extraterrestrial environmental impacts are potentially counterproductive to future space exploration, exploitation and scientific investigations. Clear, consistent and effective international protocols guiding a process for assessing such impacts are warranted. While instruments such as the US National Environmental Policy Act provide legally tested and efficient regulatory models that can guide impact assessment here on Earth, statutory legal frameworks may not work as well in the international environment of outer space. A proposal for industry-driven standards and an environmental code of conduct based, in part, on best management practices are offered for consideration.     

国际空间法中的限制性义务及其他规则概要

国际空间法是指调整国家、国际组织之间开展外空探索、利用、开发活动中权利义务规则的总称。狭义的国际空间法仅指以联合国外空五大公约为核心的国际条约体系,对于缔约国是具有强制的法律约束力的;广义的国际空间法还包括联合国大会决议和联合国外空委大会文件在内的不具有法律约束力、但具有很强的政治约束力的外空国际活动规则。中国1983年加入《外空条约》,1988年加入《营救协定》、《责任公约》和《登记公约》,没有加入《月球协定》。文章分析前4个公约以及《遥感原则》、《防止在外空部署武器条约草案》、"外空透明与建立信任措施"联大决议、《外空活动长期可持续准则草案》等不具有法律约束力的文件,简要分析其对中国航天活动可能产生的限制和影响,并提出对策、建议。     

从月球逃逸探测小行星的发射机会搜索

从月球逃逸探测小行星的发射机会搜索因需考虑日、地、月引力的影响而使问题变得复杂。针对该多体系统的发射机会搜索问题,提出了一种分层渐近的搜索方法。该方法首先通过分析地月系质心与小行星的几何关系,搜索从地月系质心到小行星的发射机会,进而以地月运动为研究对象,推导出了从月球轨道切向逃逸机会的判别条件,并基于此判别条件及等高线图法对逃逸机会进行了搜索。同时,为提高所得发射机会在多体模型下的轨道修正收敛性,给出了基于月心逃逸轨道参数为终端约束的日-地与日-地-月动力学模型的轨道渐近修正方法。最后,以近地小行星(3908)Nyx和(190491)2000 FJ20为例,搜索其从月球逃逸的发射机会,仿真计算表明了该方法的有效性。     

Strategic,technological and ethical aspects of establishing colonies on Moon and Mars

With the vast experience gained by Aerospace Community in the last five decades, the natural future course of action will be to expand Space Exploration. Our understanding of Moon is relatively better with a number of unmanned satellite missions carried out by the leading Space Agencies and manned missions to Moon by USA. Also a number of unmanned satellite missions and surface rover missions were carried out to Mars by those Space agencies generating many new details about Mars. While the future exploration efforts by global community will also be centered obviously on Moon and Mars, it is noteworthy that already NASA had declared its plans for establishing a Surface Base on Moon and developing the technical infrastructure required. Surface Bases on Moon and Mars give rise to a number of strategic, technical and ethical issues both in the process of development, and in the process of establishing the bases. The strategic issues related to Moon and Mars Surface Bases will be centered around development of enabling technologies, cost of the missions, and international cooperation. The obvious path for tackling both the technological development and cost issues will be through innovative and new means of international cooperation. International cooperation can take many forms like—all capable players joining a leader, or sharing of tasks at system level, or all players having their independent programmes with agreed common interfaces of the items being taken to and left on the surface of Moon/Mars. Each model has its own unique features. Among the technical issues, the first one is that of the Mission Objectives—why Surface Bases have to be developed and what will be the activity of crew on Surface Bases? Surface Bases have to meet mainly the issues on long term survivability of humans on the Mars/Moon with their specific atmosphere, gravity and surface characteristics. Moon offers excellent advantages for astronomy while posing difficulties with respect to solar power utilization and extreme temperature variations. Hence the technical challenges depend on a number of factors starting from mission requirements. Obviously the most important technical challenge to be addressed will be in the areas of crew safety, crew survivability, adequate provision to overcome contingencies, and in-situ resource utilization. Towards this, new innovations will be developed in areas such as specialized space suits, rovers, power and communication systems, and ascent and descent modules. The biggest ethical issue is whether humankind from Earth is targeting ‘habitation’ or ‘colonization’ of Moon/Mars. The next question will be whether the in-situ resource exploitation will be only for carrying out further missions to other planets from Moon/Mars or for utilization on Earth. The third ethical issue will be the long term impact of pollution on Moon/Mars due to technologies employed for power generation and other logistics on Surfaces. The paper elaborates the views of the authors on the strategic, technical and ethical aspects of establishing Surface Bases and colonies on Moon and Mars. The underlying assumptions and gray areas under each aspect will be explained with the resulting long-term implications.     

Strategic, technological and ethical aspects of establishing colonies on Moon and Mars

With the vast experience gained by Aerospace Community in the last five decades, the natural future course of action will be to expand Space Exploration. Our understanding of Moon is relatively better with a number of unmanned satellite missions carried out by the leading Space Agencies and manned missions to Moon by USA. Also a number of unmanned satellite missions and surface rover missions were carried out to Mars by those Space agencies generating many new details about Mars. While the future exploration efforts by global community will also be centered obviously on Moon and Mars, it is noteworthy that already NASA had declared its plans for establishing a Surface Base on Moon and developing the technical infrastructure required. Surface Bases on Moon and Mars give rise to a number of strategic, technical and ethical issues both in the process of development, and in the process of establishing the bases. The strategic issues related to Moon and Mars Surface Bases will be centered around development of enabling technologies, cost of the missions, and international cooperation. The obvious path for tackling both the technological development and cost issues will be through innovative and new means of international cooperation. International cooperation can take many forms like—all capable players joining a leader, or sharing of tasks at system level, or all players having their independent programmes with agreed common interfaces of the items being taken to and left on the surface of Moon/Mars. Each model has its own unique features. Among the technical issues, the first one is that of the Mission Objectives—why Surface Bases have to be developed and what will be the activity of crew on Surface Bases? Surface Bases have to meet mainly the issues on long term survivability of humans on the Mars/Moon with their specific atmosphere, gravity and surface characteristics. Moon offers excellent advantages for astronomy while posing difficulties with respect to solar power utilization and extreme temperature variations. Hence the technical challenges depend on a number of factors starting from mission requirements. Obviously the most important technical challenge to be addressed will be in the areas of crew safety, crew survivability, adequate provision to overcome contingencies, and in-situ resource utilization. Towards this, new innovations will be developed in areas such as specialized space suits, rovers, power and communication systems, and ascent and descent modules. The biggest ethical issue is whether humankind from Earth is targeting ‘habitation’ or ‘colonization’ of Moon/Mars. The next question will be whether the in-situ resource exploitation will be only for carrying out further missions to other planets from Moon/Mars or for utilization on Earth. The third ethical issue will be the long term impact of pollution on Moon/Mars due to technologies employed for power generation and other logistics on Surfaces. The paper elaborates the views of the authors on the strategic, technical and ethical aspects of establishing Surface Bases and colonies on Moon and Mars. The underlying assumptions and gray areas under each aspect will be explained with the resulting long-term implications.     

Space technology in the third world : Commercialization and the spread of ballistic missiles

The recent enthusiastic initiatives in the USA to commercialize space activities are also likely to facilitate and accelerate Third World ventures in space. This article outlines the history of Third World space activities and points to the danger that these nations will use satellite launch technology for military applications. Competitive economic and political pressures are aiding the migration of older missile technology to Third World Nations. The author argues for the establishment of an International Missile Technology Regime, which would limit the transfer of space launch technology to nations which are in full compliance with the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.     

星历模型下地月自由返回全飞行过程轨道设计

面向载人登月任务需要,针对星历模型下具备自由返回能力的地月转移轨道设计问题进行了研究。在三体模型下对地月三维自由返回轨道进行了求解,得到了地月空间内的自由返回轨道分布情况。在二体模型假设下对近月段的三脉冲变轨进行了求解,给出了变平面机动的计算方法。进一步提出了两轮逐次优化修正策略,分别以高度和再入走廊为主要约束,采用内点法和SQP算法在高精度星历模型下对自由返回轨道初值进行逐次优化修正。之后,采用SQP算法在星历模型下对近月三脉冲变轨进行优化修正,得到了星历模型下的自由返回+近月三脉冲变轨地月转移策略。仿真校验结果表明本文提出的方法能够在给定约束下有效求解星历模型下具备自由返回能力的地月转移轨道,为载人登月任务的转移轨道设计提供参考。     

Ensuring equal access to the benefits of space technologies for all countries

There is a concern in the developing world that industrialized countries have not done all they might under Article 1 of the Outer Space Treaty to make the benefits of space technology available to all countries; some are now seeking codification of rights and responsibilities in this sphere. This article discusses recent debate on the issues by COPUOS and its Legal Subcommittee on whether an additional legal framework is necessary to ensure a fairer distribution of benefits. G77 countries were strongly in favour of some form of technology and information transfer, while industrialized countries favoured the existing practice of developing international cooperative space projects. The author believes that a new set of principles will be formulated in the next few years and that organizations like Intelsat and Inmarsat can provide valuable models for ensuring access through cooperative programmes.     

地月平动点拟周期轨道探测器自主导航方法研究

地月L2点的拟周期轨道可以用于实现与月球背面的持续通信,具有重要的科学研究价值和广阔的应用前景。针对地月L2点探测器所处的弱稳定拟周期轨道,论证了基于日地月信息的自主导航方法的可行性,并进行了深入分析。首先,推导了会合坐标系下带有星历的精确导航动力学方程;其次,针对弱稳定轨道不同于近地强稳定轨道的特性,在基于日地月方位信息导航的基础上,提出了三种敏感器组合方案。使用迭代最小二乘方法给出导航仿真结果,并结合非线性可辨识性理论对这三种情况下历元状态的可辨识性及可辨识度进行分析。最后,仿真结果表明,使用日地月敏感器以及对地多普勒雷达可以满足历元状态的可辨识性、导航的收敛性以及系统经济性的要求。     

Alexandre Ananoff (1910–1992): 30 years to promote astronautics before Sputnik

2012 marks the 20th anniversary of Alexandre Ananoff's death. Born in 1910 in Tbilisi, Georgia, the Russian–French space expert and enthusiast Alexandre Ananoff is known for being the organiser of the first International Astronautical Congress at La Sorbonne University, Paris, in September–October 1950, as well as being the author of the famous book L’Astronautique (1950) and for advising fellow author Hergé for his book adventures of Tintin on the Moon. The purpose of our paper is to present his complete works promoting space, from his first public presentations after discovering the works of Tsiolkovsky in the late 20s to his analysis of the first Sputnik launch in the popular French magazine Paris Match in 1957.A. Ananoff was a real ambassador for astronautics and a pioneer in space education for the general public—probably the first one in France. He built a unique collection of books and novels about space travel (donated before his death to the French Air and Space Museum of Paris-Le Bourget), wrote dozens of articles, gave numerous lectures and corresponded with most of the space pioneers around the world. However, he was criticised for being an autodidact and was very disappointed by the lack of consideration accorded him within his own country. During the 60s, he progressively stopped his space activities to turn his attention to becoming a specialist of 18th century French painters. He published his Memoirs of an Astronaut in 1978 and gave his last lecture at IAC in September 1979. He died in Paris on 25 December 1992, aged 82. His last wish was that his ashes could be sent on the Moon, an end accomplishment for all his efforts.     

基于地月信息的奔月探测器自主光学导航

基于地月信息提出了一种奔月转移轨道的自主光学导航算法。该算法首先利用导航相机得到的地球和月球边缘图像与地、月几何形状模型，运用扩展源的空间获取算法导出地心和月心对应的像素，然后利用地心和月心像素、探测器的惯性姿态和该观测历元的地、月星历信息，通过基于UD分解的递推加权最小二乘算法确定了探测器轨道。还引入导航系统的可观度定义来分析了导航系统的可观性，数学仿真结果表明导航的位置误差小于30km，速度误差小于0．3m／s，证明该自主光学导航算法是有效的。     

An Asian Moon race?

After a gap of 40 years, the Moon is again the focus of several countries’ space ambitions. Japan, China and India have already launched their first Moon missions and are expected to send humans moonwards within the next 10–15 years. This revival of lunar programmes in the post-cold war era goes beyond symbolism and is also about the race to grab the natural resources of the Moon. Such ambitious missions by these states imply that they intend to change the unipolar world into one with multiple power centres, and would use space technology as one of the components to do so. This paper examines the first phase Moon missions of the Asian states and argues that their overall deep space mission aspirations have strategic ambitions attached.     

Analytical definition and proposed concept for the manned infrastructure of a lunar outpost

A recent study made by ESA has reviewed the scientific investigations to be only, or best, performed on the Moon (Return to the Moon, ESA SP-1150, June 1992), and has identified the need for a manned lunar outpost to provide support to field geologists in sampling and in-situ observations of the lunar surface, and to allow the refurbishments of surface stations and rovers. Planning and development for a manned outpost on the Moon requires an in-depth understanding and analysis of the functions this outpost is expected to perform. We therefore analyzed the impact of the proposed scientific investigations on the design of a manned lunar outpost. The specific questions raised in our study were: What are the medical, physiological and psychological risks for a crew to stay and to work on the Moon? What transit and lunar surface infrastructures (habitats and vehicles) are needed to minimize those risks?     

Theory of physical libration of the Moon with the liquid core: Forced librations

For a two-layer model of the Moon that consists of a solid nonspherical mantle and an ellipsoidal homogeneous liquid core, a theory of forced librations under the effect of gravitational Earth’s moments has been developed. The motion of the Moon over its orbit has been described by the high-accuracy theory of DE/LE-4 orbital motion. Tables have been constructed that present forced librations of the Moon caused by the second harmonic of its force function, in the neighborhood of its motion according to the generalized Cassini laws. Disturbances of the first-order with respect to dynamic compressions of the Moon and its core are obtained in analytical form for Andoyer variables and Poincare variables and for the projection of the angular velocity vector of Moon’s mantle rotation and the Poincare coordinate system (relative to which core’s liquid accomplishes simple motion) on its major central axes of inertia, as well as for the classical variables in the Moon libration theory, etc. Constructed tables of the forced librations theory give the amplitudes and periods of librations and combinations of arguments of the orbital motion theory that correspond to libration parameters. The interpretation of basic variations has been given and a comparison with the previous theories has been carried out, in particular with the modern empirical theory constructed based on the laser observation data.     

Orbit determination and control for the European Student Moon Orbiter

This paper presents the preliminary navigation and orbit determination analyses for the European Student Moon Orbiter. The severe constraint on the total mission Δv and the all-day piggy-back launch requirement imposed by the limited available budget, led to the choice of using a low-energy transfer, more specifically a Weak Stability Boundary one, with a capture into an elliptic orbit around the Moon. A particular navigation strategy was devised to ensure capture and fulfil the requirement for the uncontrolled orbit stability at the Moon. This paper presents a simulation of the orbit determination process, based on an extended Kalman filter, and the navigation strategy applied to the baseline transfer of the 2011–2012 window. The navigation strategy optimally allocates multiple Trajectory Correction Manoeuvres to target a so-called capture corridor. The capture corridor is defined, at each point along the transfer, by back-propagating the set of perturbed states at the Moon that provides an acceptable lifetime of the lunar orbit.     

Does the lunar surface still offer value as a site for astronomical observatories?

Current thinking about the Moon as a destination has revitalized interest in lunar astronomical observatories. Once seen by a large scientific community as a highly enabling site, the dramatic improvement in capabilities for free-space observatories prompts reevaluation of this interest. Whereas the lunar surface offers huge performance advantages for astronomy over terrestrial sites, free-space locales such as Earth orbit or Lagrange points offer performance that is superior to what could be achieved on the Moon. While astronomy from the Moon may be cost-effective once infrastructure is there, it is in many respects no longer clearly enabling compared with free space.     

地-月系平动点及Halo轨道的应用研究

地-月系统的平动点L1点及L2点的Halo轨道在探月工程中有重要的应用价值，可分别用于地月连续通信覆盖和月球背面的探测。由于在地-月系统中太阳的引力不可忽略，特别是在长时间作用以后，其动力学行为与摄动力较小的日-地系统有明显的不同。本文分析了如何利用太阳引力进入地-月系统的L1点及L2点的Halo轨道、以及由Halo轨道进入近月轨道的问题，两者综合起来构成了一条完整的地月低能转移轨道。研究结果对探月轨道设计有一定的参考价值。     

The ethics of treading on Neil Armstrong''s footprints

The Moon landings of the Apollo programme irrevocably changed the way we see ourselves. Most significantly, this was the first time that humans had set foot on a celestial body other than Earth. The program has left a number of sites on the Moon as well as on Earth. While the management of the sites and artefacts on Earth is fairly straightforward as they are subject to national heritage legislation, it is not so simple with the sites and artefacts on the lunar surface. Moreover, the sites on the Moon differ in one unique aspect from all other heritage sites on Earth: the absence of a lunar atmosphere of any note means that all foot- and track prints of the astronauts are preserved providing a total record of the pioneering phases of human exploration of the Moon. The nascent developments of space tourism, including proposals for lunar heritage tourism, however, threaten the preservation of these traces on the Moon. This paper discusses the terrestrial and in particular the extraterrestrial heritage of the Apollo programme. Set out are the management ethics that need to apply on the lunar surface if this unique heritage is to have a future.