Developments in space activities in Poland

Poland has a long-standing tradition in space activities. Polish institutions have participated as co-investigators in almost all European Space Agency (ESA) science projects, as well as on many other missions. However, the first Polish satellite (PW-SAT) was only launched in 2012. Poland was one of the first Eastern European countries to conclude a Cooperation Agreement with ESA in the peaceful use of outer space; it was signed in 1994 and followed by a second in January 2002. Negotiations on Polish membership in the ESA were started in autumn of 2011, and ended in April 2012. Following ratification of the agreement, Poland officially became the 20th Member State of ESA on 19 November 2012. This article examines how Poland is setting its way as a space nation. It describes recent developments in the Polish space programme, including the road to Poland's full membership in the European Space Agency.     

Legal regulation of space activities in Russia

Space activities in the former USSR were regulated by numerous decisions and regulations, most of them inaccessible to the public. But despite its important space programme the state had no specific space legislation. The country's lawyers for years argued the necessity for a unified space act and the creation of a space agency. The authors of this article discuss the regulation of space activities since the break-up of the USSR. The situation is considered in two aspects: the legal regulation of cooperation within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in the exploration and use of outer space, and the legal and organizational bases of space activities in Russia after the creation of the Russian Space Agency in 1992. Appropriate agreements and other legal documents are considered.     

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.     

International cooperation and competition in civilian space activities

This article considers how the USA can best maintain its commercial and governmental competitiveness in space, while facilitating private investment and international marketing, and at the same time keeping up significant cooperation with other nations. The current state of US civilian space activities in each of these areas is summarized, and several alternative solutions are presented. The article concludes that strengthening US competition with other space-capable nations, and improving US ability to cooperate effectively, will require careful coordination of the activities of federal agencies with each other and with the private sector.     

Space activities in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

This paper summarizes the establishment and current development of space activities in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Space activities in Venezuela are focused on the areas of telecommunications, Earth observation and research on the physical properties of the Earth, and have as a primary goal the satisfaction of social needs. Current development of space activities started in 1999 when the new National Constitution recognized the value of outer space as the common heritage of mankind, and the key role of science and technology in promoting human welfare. The Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities (ABAE) was created in 2007. Its legal framework recognizes three key elements that drive its policy: the participation of society, capacity building and human training, and international cooperation. Indeed ongoing international cooperation with partners such as China, India, Brazil and Uruguay has already expanded Venezuelan space capabilities, allowing the country to launch its first telecommunications satellite, Venesat-1 in 2008, to plan the infrastructure development for the design of small satellites, and to train 1195 local professionals in space science, technology and applications. Our analysis shows that Venezuela has the potential to become a space leadership country, promoting the social welfare, integration, and sustainable development of Latin American countries.     

日本积极打造侦察卫星

近年来,日本不甘心只当经济大国,急欲成为政治大国,进而走向军事大国。侦察卫星集当代高科技于一体,是一个国家军事实力的象征。日本在2003年发射了头两颗侦察卫星,一跃成为拥有侦察卫星的国家,进一步奠定了其作为军事大国的地位。今年1月6日,日本政府人士又宣布,将在明年3月31     

CRESDA Support Japan for Earthquake Recovery

A 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit the east coast of Honshu, Japan (38.23°N and 143.19°E) on March 11, 2011. A massive tsunami trig- gered by the earthquake led to causalities,     

日本新型的J—I火箭

１９９６年２月日本成功地发射了携带超音速试验飞行器的新型Ｊ－Ｉ火箭。Ｊ－Ｉ火箭的概况、运载能力和飞行时序、制导控制系统、遥测和通讯系统以及试验在本文中作了介绍。     

日本决定合并航天机构

作为范围广泛的改革措施的一部分，日本文部科技省已指示将该国三大航天机构合并成一个机构。这一决定是在新型Ｈ－２Ａ火箭首次发射前几天宣布的。这三个机构是宇宙开发事业团、宇宙科学研究所和航空宇宙技术研究所。一些议员曾提议将这三个机构私有化，但被文部科技省否决。此项合并最早要到２００３年才能生效。为保证合并能顺利进行，文部科技省将成立一个监督委员会。合并将不会对日本内阁级别的独立咨询机构——航天活动委员会产生影响。该委员会负责监管日本所有的航天计划。日本９０年代末曾发生一系列的发射失败和卫星报废事故，造…     

日本国会通过太空军事利用法

继日本自卫队突破<和平宪法>第九条的限制,成功走出国门后,日本又在为军事挺进太空铺路.作为推动自卫队在国际上发挥更大作用的努力的一部分,日本国会5月21日表决通过了允许该同航天计划被用于国防目的的一项法律,即<宇宙基本法>.作为议会上院,日本参议院以221对14票的压倒性优势通过了这项立法.     

The activities of ocean colour remote sensing in China

This article reviews the development of ocean colour remote sensing over the past decade in China. China launched its first remote sensing satellite FY-1A on 7 September 1988 and its second, FY-1B on 3 September 1990. Both of them had a Very High Resolution Scanning Radiometer (VHRSR) which involved two channels (0.48–0.53 and 0.53–0.58 u) for measuring ocean colour. A new polar orbiting satellite FY-1-02 was scheduled to be in orbit by 1998 with an improved VHRSR which has more (10) channels and is more sensitive for ocean colour remote sensing. The special programme of the ocean colour satellite HY-1 has been approved by the Chinese government, as has the planning of another new generation polar orbiting remote sensing satellite, FY-3. A type of sensor has been developed known as the Chinese Moderate Imaging spectroradiometer (CMODIS). Following its review, the article will describe the future activities of ocean colour remote sensing in China and explain their scientific goal.     

Technology assessment in space activities: status and outlook

Space technology is not only a matter for engineers. In various ways, political authorities and other sections of society are interested in space activities. An of space activities provides a scientific basis on which to tender guidance and advice to decision makers. The authors discuss the growing use of technology assessment in the space field with particular reference to German activities and analyse why it will become more important in the future.     

欧洲、日本和俄罗斯先进可复用运载器的技术进展

可重复使用的运载器是降低航天运输成本、提高运载能力和发射频度的必由之路，因此受到航天发达国家和地区的重视。美国在可复用运载器方面的研究开发活动起步早，项目多，投资高，并已研制出了可部分重复使用的航天飞机。与此同时，其它航天发达国家和地区着眼于未来航天运输的需求，也在开展各种技术准备工作。本文对欧洲、日本和俄罗斯在可复用运载器方面的技术进展情况进行了综述。     

Assuring the sustainability of space activities

The growth of new space systems and the continued creation of orbital debris could in a few years make activities in Earth orbit unsustainable, so finding cost-effective ways to sustain space activities in Earth orbit is essential. Because outer space activities serve the needs of the military–intelligence, civil, and commercial communities, each with their own requirements, creating the necessary international agreements for reaching and maintaining a condition of sustainability will not be easy. This paper summarizes the primary issues for the international space community regarding our future ability to reap the benefit of space systems in Earth orbit. It explores several of the efforts to develop international agreements that would lead to or support the sustainability of space activities and examines the benefits and drawbacks of each approach. In particular, it reviews progress within the UN COPUOS, and examines the EU's proposal for an international Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities. It also notes the need for states to establish or expand their own space legal infrastructure to conform to the UN treaties and guidelines for space activities.     

Intellectual property rights and space activities

On 5 and 6 December 1994, a two-day workshop was organised by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Centre for Space Law (ECSL) at ESA's Headquarters in Paris on the theme ‘Intellectual property rights and space activities: a worldwide perspective’. It was attended by some 90 participants and 16 papers were presented, analysing legal and policy issues with regard to intellectual property rights (IPRs) and space activities in a world context.     

The changing geopolitics of space activities

Traditional space relations among civilian space actors are undergoing in the post-cold war era a rapid evolution with a growing number of new institutional entities. The cold war era and its resulting political environment, which limited space cooperation to ‘intra-bloc’ cooperation, has disappeared, allowing the development of new axes and mechanisms of cooperation. The internationalization and regionalization of space activities witnessed in recent years is foreseen to gain momentum, leading therefore to a new geography of civilian space activities.     

Japan,Ballistic Missile Defence and remilitarisation

Japan's future trajectory in security policy and the extent of deviation from the post-war course of a constrained military stance have been the source of constant academic and policy debate. Japanese policy-makers have maintained that national security policy has shown no fundamental deviation, and that this can be benchmarked against a range of constant anti-militaristic principles. The advent of BMD, however, poses significant questions over whether Japan is continuing to follow a similar security trajectory. This article examines how BMD has challenged four key anti-militaristic principles—the non-exercise of collective self-defence, the non-military use of space, the ban on the export of weapons technology, and strict civilian control of the military—and uses this assessment to judge how BMD is driving remilitarisation. It concludes that BMD's impact is highly significant in transgressing these anti-militaristic principles and is thus indicating a more remilitarised security path for Japan developing now and in the future.     

Is there really any duplication in Europe''s space activities?

At a time of declining space budgets in Europe, and of a consequent need to make savings, accusations of wasteful duplication—resulting from the large number of national agencies pursuing programmes alongside ESA—are rife, as are calls for the space industry further to consolidate. This viewpoint argues that duplication is not really the issue, however, since most national agencies have become specialists in particular fields. Nor would industry restructuring be straightforward, given the fact that Europe cannot be satisfied with a single source of supply. What is needed is better coordination between space agencies upstream to avoid later duplication, as is now being pursued through ESA's ‘harmonisation process’. The move to create a Network of Centres could also promote worthwhile collective action. These initiatives are more realistic than the technocratic aim of completely restructuring European space.