Stepping stones toward global space exploration

Several nations are currently engaging in or planning for robotic and human space exploration programs that target the Moon, Mars and near-Earth asteroids. These ambitious plans to build new space infrastructures, transport systems and space probes will require international cooperation if they are to be sustainable and affordable. Partnerships must involve not only established space powers, but also emerging space nations and developing countries; the participation of these new space actors will provide a bottom-up support structure that will aid program continuity, generate more active members in the space community, and increase public awareness of space activities in both developed and developing countries. The integration of many stakeholders into a global space exploration program represents a crucial element securing political and programmatic stability. How can the evolving space community learn to cooperate on a truly international level while engaging emerging space nations and developing countries in a meaningful way? We propose a stepping stone approach toward a global space exploration program, featuring three major elements: (1) an international Earth-based field research program preparing for planetary exploration, (2) enhanced exploitation of the International Space Station (ISS) enabling exploration and (3) a worldwide CubeSat program supporting exploration. An international Earth-based field research program can serve as a truly global exploration testbed that allows both established and new space actors to gain valuable experience by working together to prepare for future planetary exploration missions. Securing greater exploitation of the ISS is a logical step during its prolonged lifetime; ISS experiments, partnerships and legal frameworks are valuable foundations for exploration beyond low Earth orbit. Cooperation involving small, low-cost missions could be a major stride toward exciting and meaningful participation from emerging space nations and developing countries. For each of these three proposed stepping stones, recommendations for coordination mechanisms are presented.     

A new paradigm for international cooperation in space exploration

In announcing a new Vision for the US space program, President George Bush committed the USA to “a long-term human and robotic program to explore the solar system”, via a return to the Moon, leading to exploration of Mars and other destinations. He also stated that other nations would be invited to join the vision. Many other nations have, or are developing, ‘exploration visions’ of their own. The potential for international cooperation therefore exists, both at the vision and program/project levels. This paper, based on Working Group discussions as part of an AIAA space cooperation workshop,¹ presents an approach for maximizing the return on all global investments in space exploration. It proposes an international coordination mechanism through which all these various national activities could be integrated into an inherently global enterprise for space exploration, a ‘virtual program of programs’. Within the context of the coordination, individual activities would utilize the full range of cooperative mechanisms for implementation. A significant benefit of this mode of conducting cooperation is that it would not require the negotiation of complex overarching international agreements as a precondition for initiating international activity.     

Human space exploration - A global trans-cultural quest

This Viewpoint is a slightly edited version of the ‘Statement by Space Explorers on Human Space Exploration’ produced in the wake of a workshop organized by the European Space Policy Institute and held in Vienna in May 2010. While noting the cultural differences in understandings of ‘exploration’ around the world, it also affirms the phenomenon as a globe-wide, human urge, emphasizing that only the physical presence of a human being can assure the full emotional quality of exploration. It calls upon decision makers to regard human space exploration as a global trans-cultural quest that should be supported and furthered.     

Norway's future in space

Norway has recently published its national long-term plan for space activities (1993–1996) and the main points of this are reproduced here. While telecommunications, positioning and navigation and Earth observation are understandably given a high priority, there is also an emphasis on space transportation and space science, and a belief that Norwegian industry and research institutes are capable of gaining contracts beyond the agreed scope of the country's participation in ESA.     

Implementing international co-operation in space exploration

This article discusses the outcomes of an April 2005 workshop held at ISU in Strasbourg. Experts sought to tailor an international co-ordination mechanism that would achieve the classical benefits of international co-operation for the unique venture of space exploration. The mechanism they developed provides a permanent forum for those with vested interests in exploration (currently space agencies in key spacefaring nations) to exchange information about national plans and activities so as to build confidence in one another's programs and, to the extent they choose, to develop beneficial interdependencies. The product of this co-ordination effort would be a consolidated international exploration roadmap that would both inform and reflect national program decisions. The co-ordination mechanism would simultaneously involve, but in less central roles, other important interested parties (industry, the science community, other countries without current exploration programs), whose advice is important to the development of a consolidated roadmap. Recognizing that the stakeholders in exploration will almost certainly evolve over time, the mechanism also presents the flexibility to accommodate new players (e.g. companies and countries not yet with investments in exploration) in more central roles as they become stakeholders with vested interests in exploration.     

Kazakhstan's space policy in a changing national and global context

In the wake of its transition to a market economy and the political and social reforms that have accompanied this, Kazakhstan—home to the renowned Baikonur space complex—is experiencing greater demand for space services. This article reports on the drivers behind and main features of the country's current space program and analyzes Kazakahstan's space policy. Key priorities are capacity building, maximizing revenue from the lease of Baikonur, international cooperation, in particular with Russia, as a means of gaining know-how and entering the world space industry, developing Earth observations and broadcasting expertise, and placing the country's activities within a legal framework.     

The space elevator in the context of current space exploration policy

The space elevator is an advanced space transportation system that someday could replace chemical rockets as humanity's primary means of reaching Earth's orbit. However, before this can occur, a number of enabling technologies will need to be developed, and a variety of economic and policy questions must be addressed. The goal of this paper is to examine the feasibility of the space elevator in the context of current space exploration policy. The paper reviews the space elevator's critical enabling technologies and presents their wide variety of applications. The challenges of funding the space elevator and of building support for the program are discussed. The potential for international cooperation is considered, and the role of the space elevator in the Vision for Space Exploration is examined. The paper argues that each of the space elevator's component technologies ought to be developed independently to meet separate nearer-term objectives. The space elevator should be just one of many applications considered in making decisions to pursue research and development related to each component technology. The enabling technologies, once mature, might eventually be integrated in the construction of a full-scale space elevator from the Earth's surface to geosynchronous orbit and beyond.     

Science in the national vision for space exploration: objectives and constituencies of the ‘discovery-driven’ paradigm

The NASA/White House Vision for Space Exploration is primarily focused on the development of human and robotic systems that will enable ‘discovery-driven’ investigations in areas important to the scientific community: Mars, the solar system's outer moons, and planets orbiting other stars. Such a portfolio can only be realized if NASA is prepared to target investment at opportunities that are most scientifically compelling. NASA's leaders will have to make decisions in subjective and uncertain environments about the relative long-term value of different kinds of scientific discoveries seen as equally important to different groups. A management paradigm of this kind will imply assessment of heterogeneous priorities and management of interdependent and changing requirements. In order to identify the basis and implications of a ‘discovery-driven’ paradigm, this paper surveys the relationship between the Vision's principles and its programmatic content, the objectives of the Vision's scientific focus areas and their interrelationships, and the public context in which science-focused exploration will proceed.     

The National Space Biomedical Research Institute's education and public outreach program: Working toward a global 21st century space exploration society

Space Exploration educators worldwide are confronting challenges and embracing opportunities to prepare students for the global 21st century workforce. The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), established in 1997 through a NASA competition, is a 12-university consortium dedicated to space life science research and education. NSBRI's Education and Public Outreach Program (EPOP) is advancing the Institute's mission by responding to global educational challenges through activities that: provide teacher professional development; develop curricula that teach students to communicate with their peers across the globe; provide women and minority US populations with greater access to, and awareness of science careers; and promote international science education partnerships.A recent National Research Council (NRC) Space Studies Board Report, America's Future in Space: Aligning the Civil Program with National Needs, acknowledges that “a capable workforce for the 21st century is a key strategic objective for the US space program… (and that) US problems requiring best efforts to understand and resolve…are global in nature and must be addressed through mutual worldwide action”. [1] This sentiment has gained new momentum through a recent National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) report, which recommends that the life of the International Space Station be extended beyond the planned 2016 termination. [2] The two principles of globalization and ISS utility have elevated NSBRI EPOP efforts to design and disseminate science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) educational materials that prepare students for full participation in a globalized, high technology society; promote and provide teacher professional development; create research opportunities for women and underserved populations; and build international educational partnerships.This paper describes select EPOP projects and makes the case for using innovative, emerging information technologies to transfer space exploration knowledge to students, engage educators from across the globe in discourse about science curricula, and foster multimedia collaborations that inform citizens about the benefits of space exploration for life on Earth. Special references are made to educational activities conducted at professional meetings in Austria, Canada, France, China, Greece, Italy, Russia, Scotland and Spain.     

Human roles in future space operations.

Mankind has evolved in the biosphere from essentially another animal to the level that his industries and societies are powerful components of the life-cycles of Earth. Terrestrial industrial experience can be extended to the use of matter from the Moon and other non-terrestrial sources to create permanent habitats and industry in space. Space stations in low Earth orbit and small bases on the Moon can be the foci of early space industries for learning how to grow in space with local resources. Several near term and long range research topics appropriate to permanent human occupancy of space are reviewed.     

The economic and social benefits of space communication : A global overview of past, present and future applications

This study takes two different approaches to trying to estimate the ‘worth’ of satellite applications, one based upon tariff services and their pyramidal value and the other of estimating derived benefits on a sector-by-sector basis to total the economic value of business and application satellite services. These procedures result in an order-of-magnitude estimate for direct and indirect benefits of satellites of $390 billion per year or about 2% of the global economy. Estimations of social benefits are more difficult to quantify. The business, cultural, social and educational benefits of satellite communications are shown to be tremendous, and wherever possible clear economic terms are used.     

深空探测天线技术发展现状及趋势

为了满足我国新世纪深空探测任务的需求,文章结合国内外部分典型深空探测项目,介绍了有关探测器上天线系统的设计思路,从而了解深空探测天线技术的发展现状,并根据目前星载天线技术发展和深空探测领域测控通信系统的需求,归纳和总结了未来深空探测领域中探测器上天线技术的发展趋势,为我国深空探测天线技术的发展提供参考。     

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.     

Test results of the air turbo ramjet for a future space plane

The Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) has been engaged in the development study on the Air Turbo Ramjet (ATR) engine since 1986 in cooperation with the Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd (IHI). The ATR is one of the most preferable candidates for the propulsion system of a future space plane. Our ATR engine is a combined cycle air breathing propulsion system which consists of the turbojet and the fan boosted ramjet using the liquid hydrogen as a fuel. This engine system was named “ATREX” after employing the expander cycle. The ATREX is energized by thermal energy extracted regeneratively in both the pre-cooler installed in the air intake and the heat exchanger in combustion chamber. The ATREX works in the flight condition from sea level static up to Mach 6 at 35 km altitude. The ATREX employs the tip turbine configuration for compactness of turbo machinery. We are assessing the feasibility of the ATREX system by the sea level static tests using the 1/4-scale model (ATREX-500) with a fan inlet diameter of 300 mm and overall length of 2120 mm. In 1990, the ATREX-500 engine was tested in a sea level static condition to verify the performance characteristics of the turbo machinery and the combustor. In September of 1991, the heat exchanger was installed in the combustion chamber and tested independently from the turbo system. In November of 1991, the heat exchanger was coupled with the turbo system and tested to verify the overall system of the ATREX. In this paper are presented the test results of the ATREX-500 engine tested in the sea level static condition.     

Cooperation and dialogical modeling for designing a safe Human space exploration mission to Mars

This paper proposes an approach for a complex and innovative project requiring international contributions from different communities of knowledge and expertise. Designing a safe and reliable architecture for a manned mission to Mars or the Asteroids necessitates strong cooperation during the early stages of design to prevent and reduce risks for the astronauts at each step of the mission. The stake during design is to deal with the contradictions, antagonisms and paradoxes of the involved partners for the definition and modeling of a shared project of reference. As we see in our research which analyses the cognitive and social aspects of technological risks in major accidents, in such a project, the complexity of the global organization (during design and use) and the integration of a wide and varie d range of sciences and innovative technologies is likely to increase systemic risks as follows: human and cultural mistakes, potential defaults, failures and accidents. We identify as the main danger antiquated centralized models of organization and the operational limits of interdisciplinarity in the sciences. Beyond this, we can see that we need to take carefully into account human cooperation and the quality of relations between heterogeneous partners. Designing an open, self-learning and reliable exploration system able to self-adapt in dangerous and unforeseen situations implies a collective networked intelligence led by a safe process that organizes interaction between the actors and the aims of the project. Our work, supported by the CNES (French Space Agency), proposes an innovative approach to the coordination of a complex project.     

Current views and future programs in cardiovascular physiology in space.

The volume shift of 2000 cm3 from the lower to the upper part of the human body during weightlessness gave rise to theoretical and practical questions which are addressed in this communication. The analysis revealed that the mobilized fluid reduced the interstitial fluid of the lower extremities by 40%. Applying the current ideas in the field of interstitial tissue physiology to these problems, one must conclude that the fluid displacement can only be brought about by a change of the interstitial tissue compliance. Based on the observations made by the astronauts and on our working hypothesis, a method was proposed to follow the fluid migration and to measure the tissue compliance in man. Results are reported from experiments under terrestrial conditions. They show that the tissue compliance indeed can be modulated. Applying the method in space can eventually help to clarify several concepts in terrestrial physiology.     

Proposal for a new radiation dose control system for future manned space flights

Radiation risk on a future long-duration manned space mission appears to be one of the basic factors in planning and designing the mission. Since 1988 different active dosimetric investigations has been performed on board the MIR space station by the Bulgarian-Russian dosimeter-radiometer LIULIN and French tissue-equivalent proportional counters CIRCE and NAUSICAA. A joint French-Bulgarian-Russian dosimetry experiment and the dosimetry-radiometry system RADIUS-MD have been developed for the future MARS-96 mission. On the base of the results and experience of these investigations a conception for a new radiation dose control system for the future orbital stations, lunar bases and interplanetary space ships is proposed. The proposed system which consists of different instruments will allow personal radiation control for crew members, radiation monitoring inside and outside each habitat, analysis and forecasting of the situation and will suggest procedures to minimize the radiation risk.