The ISMA proposal — time for a reappraisal?

The proposal for an International Satellite Monitoring Agency (ISMA) was made by France in 1978. This article looks at the arguments raised against developing an ISMA and reassesses the proposal in the light of current and anticipated developments in the field of verification, and new national space programmes.     

UK space policy — a problem of culture

According to the UK government, the announcement in July 1987 of a freeze on the British National Space Centre's (BNSC) budget was based solely on lack of money and the belief that private industry, rather than the state, should fund space activities. In challenging the validity of this view, the author suggests that it has also been used to conceal internal bureaucratic competition and a myopic, market-driven mind-set.     

Buying Russian technology — pros and cons for the US programme

A marriage between Russian space technology and US space ambitions was unthinkable only a short time ago, but that potential union is now the talk of the town. With the dizzying pace of changes in US-Russian relationships, what is written here in July 1992 may well have changed by the time this article is published. Nevertheless, a glance at what the Russians are selling, what the USA may want to buy and the major policy issues involved is worth a look. Traditional cooperative ventures remain an important part of US-Russian space relations, but are not the focus of this article.     

The UN and space — 1989 review

In 1989, the two sub-committees of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) - the Scientific and Technical Sub-Committee and the Legal Sub-Committee - held their 26th and 28th sessions, respectively, at UN Headquarters in New York. They subsequently produced reports which were discussed at the 33rd session of COPUOS in New York from 5 to 15 June 1989. N. Jasentuliyana, Director of the Outer Space Affairs Division at the UN, discusses their work.     

The UN and space — 1990 review

In its 44th session the United Nations passed resolutions endorsing International Space Year and the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, both scheduled for 1992. Together they provide for global efforts to understand and protect the Earth and its environment. N. Jasentuliyana, Director of the Outer Space Affairs Division at the UN, outlines their significance.     

Commercialization of space — the investment opportunities

This report by Ray Williamson of the US Office of Technology Assessment, looks at the prospects for commercialization of space into the 21st century and discusses the relative benefits of private v government investment. The report is taken from a revised version of an article originally appearing in the October 1982 issue of Futures. A fully updated paper will appear in Michiel Schwarz and Paul Stares (eds), ‘The Exploitation of Space: Policy Trends in the Military and Commercial Uses of Space’ (Butterworths, Guildford, UK, 1985).     

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.     

Dominance in space — a new means of exercising global power?

Sustained criticism of the strategy of nuclear deterrence and technological developments in the military uses of space suggest that nuclear weapons may soon be replaced by control of outer space as the USA and USSR's primary instrument of global power. This article traces the change in perceptions of nuclear weapons policy and assesses the potential of outer space as a means of control, and the plans of the two superpowers for its exploitation, especially in the military sphere. The consequences for Western Europe of a shift from nuclear to space-based weapons as the primary guarantor of national security are also discussed.     

SPS — time for a pilot plant

Scientists have expended much energy researching SPS but their theories have never yet been realistically tested. It is time for this to change and SPS 2000 — a Japanese-sponsored project to construct and operate a pilot plant to supply electricity to residents of equatorial zones — could provide the means. The project and its benefits are described and the political—economic imperatives for undertaking it presented. The author argues that there are cogent — and practical — reasons for funding a pilot plant, especially given the vast sums spent on other space activities, and on nuclear power, although the latter has never lived up to expectations.     

Space education policy — a global imperative

The discoveries and knowledge gained from space exploration and technology development are valuable scientific education tools which are not being adequately used in the classroom. Moreover, the increasing application of space technology to everyday life and industry requires a work force educated to be able to work productively in this field and to take advantage of all it has to offer. This article provides a survey of what is presently being done in the field of space education in Europe and the USA. Although encouraging, it is not nearly enough to meet the needs of 21st century society, principally because current efforts lack government or industry support. The author argues that this state of affairs must change, and proposed an international symposium as a first step towards this goal.     

ESCAP space technology applications programme

Between 19–24 September 1994, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific - ESCAP, the largest of the UN regional bodies - held a series of meetings to inaugurate a new program in space technology applications. This program will have a strong Earth Observation component, and is designed to strengthen environmentally sound and sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region, in line with recommendations of Agenda 21 arising from the Rio Summit in 1992. Jeff Kingwell reports on two of the meetings, the ministerial conference and the space technology exhibition.     

Sputnik fever — again?

The author offers some comments on the drawbacks of another US-Soviet space race. She compares the relative positions of the USA and the USSR in various areas of space science and technology, and concludes that the USSR does not lead in all areas. More importantly, she argues that it is distressing still to be portraying the superpowers as in a race in space. ‘Sputnik fever’ the first time round showed that a space race does not lead to a strong, long-term US space programme. She argues that cooperation in some areas — perhaps a trip to Mars — could b an alternative.     

The US civilian space programme : Charting a new course

The US space programme continues to face difficulties in restructuring to meet existing political and fiscal conditions, in part because the basic structure and focus of the programme derive from the tensions of the Cold War. This paper argues that the world's new, more complicated political and economic conditions present a challenge for US policy makers that can be met with a renewed focus on the pursuit of science and the public good, within the context of international economic competition and political and scientific cooperation.     

Iran's space programme: Riding high for peace and pride

Iran's efforts to develop space technology for civil and peaceful purposes began many years ago. Almost all its success in this connection is the result of indigenous potential in terms of human resources, available expertise and experience along with international cooperation and exchange of knowledge. There are considerable civilian entities involved in space-related development and production in Iran. This article describes the history and current status and capabilities of Iran's space programme and its aim to use space for peace and prosperity and to attain the position that it deserves in the global arena. Stepping into space using an indigenously developed system has provided Iran with a notable and unprecedented national pride. Only international cooperation, as already exists in the framework of COPUOS activities on the peaceful uses of outer space, can improve 21st century understanding of the space policy and visions of Iran for the world community. Iran's space programme is really no different from that of any other nation. It is committed to developing its assets in space both for peaceful purposes and for use as part of various multinational space projects. It should not be ignored that such achievements require a high degree of expertise, ability and comprehensive knowledge about the subject, while the attitudes and visions of leaders in each nation who also influence and contribute to the pace, progress and developmental objectives of any nation's space program should not be disregarded.     

Data on and methodology for calculating space shuttle programme costs

This report presents data on the annual and total costs of NASA's Space Shuttle programme through fiscal year (FY) 1993. The total cost of the programme through FY 1993 is found to be $83.7 billion in 1992 dollars. This information has significance for pending policy decisions on the future of the Shuttle programme, its possible successors, and interrelated programmes, such as the Space Station.     

Flexbus — an attractive technical solution for small missions

Responding to the demand for a ‘faster, cheaper, better’ implementation of space related services, Domier Satellitensysteme GmbH has established and exercised an approach for the development and production of satellites and the corresponding ground equipment for small missions, referred to as Flexbus. It allows to support space service customers starting from mission engineering via design, development and manufacturing of the necessary hardware, the launch service and ending with the hand-over of the operational system. Flexbus harmonises a modular component concept with a sound design and development approach, as a whole providing the means to offer high quality products in a fairly short time and for competitive pricing. This paper will outline the major features of the Flexbus approach and describe application examples.     

LISA — a study of the ESA cornerstone mission for observing gravitational waves

The primary objective of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission is to detect and observe gravitational waves from massive black holes and galactic binaries in the frequency range 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻¹ Hz. This low-frequency range is inaccessible to ground-based interferometers because of the unshieldable background of local gravitational noise and because ground-based interferometers are limited in length to a few km. LISA is an ESA cornerstone mission and recently had a system study (Ref. 1) carried out by a consortium led by Astrium, which confirmed the basic configuration for the payload with only minor changes, and provided detailed concepts for the spacecraft and mission design. The study confirmed the need for a drag-free technology demonstration mission to develop the inertial sensors for LISA, before embarking on the build of the flight sensors. With a technology demonstration flight in 2005, it would be possible to carry out LISA as a joint ESA-NASA mission with a launch by 2010 subject to the funding programmatics. The baseline for LISA is three disc-like spacecraft each of which consist of a science module which carries the laser interferometer payload (two in each science module) and a propulsion module containing an ion drive and the hydrazine thrusters of the AOCS. The propulsion module is used for the transfer from earth escape trajectory provided by the Delta II launch to the operational orbit. Once there the propulsion module is jettisoned to reduce disturbances on the payload. Detailed analysis of thermal and gravitational disturbances, a model of the drag-free control and of the interferometer operation confirm that the strain sensitivity of the interferometer will be achieved.     

Current status of the Russian space programme

This paper surveys the status of Russian space activities in terms of budget, operational satellite systems, workforce and industrial capabilities. There is inequality between companies and particularly between various tiers of cooperation in production. In the current situation international cooperation, both in the form of joint non-commercial ventures and integration into the global space market, is considered vital for sustaining national space capabilities.