The space situational awareness program of the European Space Agency

The organization principles of constructing the European system of warning about dangerous situations in the outer space are considered in the paper.     

Cross-cultural issues in space operations: A survey study among ground personnel of the European Space Agency

Today's space operations involve co-working of people with different ethnical, professional and organisational backgrounds. The aim of this study was to examine the implications of cultural diversity for efficient collaboration within the European Space Agency (ESA), and between ESA employees and representatives from other agencies. ESA employees from European countries (N=576) answered to the CULT Ground Survey. The results showed that differences in relation to leadership and decision making were the most important issues thought to interfere with efficient co-working within ESA, and between ESA employees and colleagues from other agencies. Employees who collaborated with more than three nationalities within ESA indicated most challenges in co-working due to differences in compliance, behavioural norms and competitiveness. Challenges in co-working differed between agencies, and these differences were consistent with value differences in the national populations. The results may have applied value for training of European employees working in international space program teams.     

Cross-cultural issues in space operations: A survey study among ground personnel of the European Space Agency

Today's space operations involve co-working of people with different ethnical, professional and organisational backgrounds. The aim of this study was to examine the implications of cultural diversity for efficient collaboration within the European Space Agency (ESA), and between ESA employees and representatives from other agencies. ESA employees from European countries (N=576) answered to the CULT Ground Survey. The results showed that differences in relation to leadership and decision making were the most important issues thought to interfere with efficient co-working within ESA, and between ESA employees and colleagues from other agencies. Employees who collaborated with more than three nationalities within ESA indicated most challenges in co-working due to differences in compliance, behavioural norms and competitiveness. Challenges in co-working differed between agencies, and these differences were consistent with value differences in the national populations. The results may have applied value for training of European employees working in international space program teams.     

Space for defence: A European vision

A common European defence policy is still at a very preliminary stage, and although some limited progress has recently been made, it is a politically sensitive issue. In contrast to scientific research or large industrial ventures such as aircraft development, where Europe has moved forward rather well, obstacles to further integration in defence and security matters are numerous. Space systems could be used to facilitate such integration as their duplication is costly and so much remains to be done in Europe in this field. A common European ‘vision’ for the role of space systems in security and defence thus needs to be developed. This article reviews the role of space in security and defence missions, the technology and industrial base Europe needs, and its capability and autonomy in achieving access to space. Space system vulnerability and the means of minimizing it are addressed, including measures to prevent the weaponization of space. The possible role of ESA in support of the European Defence Agency for defence space systems development is identified, along with the need for ad hoc organizations for operational exploitation. Ten recommendations are made that would permit progress at the European level, following the path already successfully achieved in the civilian domain.     

Defining a European space research policy: The role of the European Space Science Committee

The willingness of the European Union (EU) to acquire an important position by defining a well articulated space policy for Europe requires a redefinition of the roles of the various actors of this policy. This has been demonstrated at the last ESA Ministerial Conference despite the financial difficulties encountered by all spacefaring European countries. The European Space Science Committee (ESSC), an associated Committee of the European Science Foundation (ESF), actively participated in the elaboration of such a policy by presenting the point of view of the space scientific community and making recommendations to ensure that scientific space research is appropriately accounted for in overall European space policy. The ESSC is briefly described along with its activities and contributions to the definition of a European space policy.     

Towards a European vision for space exploration: Recommendations of the Space Advisory Group of the European Commission

As a result of increasing public and political interest in ‘space’ (i.e. solar system) exploration at the global scale, the Space Advisory Group of the European Commission has evaluated the situation in Europe with regard to its potential to participate in this ambitious global enterprise. Aspects of science, technology, environment and safety, society, spin-offs and international cooperation were all considered. The group concluded that Europe possesses sufficient key technologies and scientific expertise to play a major role in international space exploration and has recommended that the EU take a central role to ensure the success of future European space exploration, not only to give a clear political signal for the way forward but also to ensure an appropriate financial framework. In this way Europe would embrace the spirit of the European Space Policy and contribute to the knowledge-based society by investing significantly in space-based science and technology, thereby playing a strong role in international space exploration.     

Space agencies and the UN system: the Space Agency Forum (SAF) 10th Plenary

The Space Agency Forum (SAF) met for its 10th plenary meeting in Bremen on 30 September 2003. Its motto was “Space Agencies and the UN System”. Following various presentations on relevant issues, including the UN Space Applications Programme and the follow-up of UNISPACE III, SAF members discussed their participation in these fields. The meeting resulted in a number of inputs to these issue areas and coordinated approaches vis-à-vis policy questions.     

Space solutions: Practical applications for governments and markets

The second Forum of the International Institute of Space Commerce (IISC) was held in Douglas, Isle of Man on 20 November 2010. This report summarizes the main findings.     

The European Astronaut Centre prepares for International Space Station operations

The European Space Agency (ESA) contribution to the International Space Station (ISS) goes much beyond the delivery of hardware like the Columbus Laboratory, its payloads and the Automated Transfer Vehicles. ESA Astronauts will be members of the ISS crew. ESA, according to its commitments as ISS international partner, will be responsible to provide training on its elements and payloads to all ISS crewmembers and medical support for ESA astronauts. The European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne has developed over more than a decade into the centre of expertise for manned space activities within ESA by contributing to a number of important co-operative spaceflight missions. This role will be significantly extended for ISS manned operations. Apart from its support to ESA astronauts and their onboard operations, EAC will have a key role in training all ISS astronauts on ESA elements and payloads. The medical support of ISS crew, in particular of ESA astronauts has already started. This paper provides an overview on status and further plans in building up this homebase function for ESA astronauts and on the preparation towards Training Readiness for ISS crew training at EAC, Cologne. Copyright 2001 by the European Space Agency. Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission. Released to IAF/IAA/AIAA to publish in all forms.     

Europe without fractures: a Spanish view of the European Space Strategy

On 16 November 2000, the Council of the European Space Agency (ESA) meeting at Ministerial level and the European Research Council of the European Union (EU) gathered in Brussels to adopt in parallel two resolutions on a European Strategy for Space. This political impetus indicates a clear motivation to support the further development of the European space sector, based on a much closer collaboration between the two European institutions, thereby exploiting their respective competencies and synergies. This paper presents some Spanish viewpoints relative to the common European Strategy for Space of the EU and ESA. Spain is supportive of the new strategy and the paper describes how its co-ordinated approach could be translated into action across various European programmes.     

The ECSL summer course: a European initiative in the field of space law teaching

Mindful of the growing need for and interest in the law of outer space, the European Centre for Space Law (ECSL) has started a summer school on the subject, where European students receive instruction in the basics of space law from internationally renowned professors and legal experts. In this report the ECSL's Secretary, Valérie Kayser describes the aims and content of the first two courses and assesses its impact. Student expectations have been met but there is scope for improving the academic level, especially in the area of teamwork.     

An innovative approach for distributed and integrated resources planning for the Space Station Freedom

The widely distributed nature of the Space Station Freedom program, plus continuous multi-year operations will force program planners to develop innovative planning concepts. The traditional centralized planning operation will not be adequate. It will be replaced by multiple small planning centers working within guidelines issued by a central planning authority. Plans will not be optimized; rather, operating efficiency and user flexibility will be blended to satisfy program goals. The key to this new approach is the application of new planning methodologies and system development technologies to accommodate distributed resources that must be integrated. Resources will be distributed to the multiple planning entities in such a way that, when the several plans are built and then integrated, they will fit together with minimal modification. The plan itself will be an envelope schedule containing resource limits and constraint boundaries within which users will be free to make choices of the specific activities they will execute, up to the time of execution. Some level of margin within program guidelines will be built in to allow for variation and unforeseen change. This paper presents the authors' recommended planning approach and cites two NASA systems being developed that will utilize these resource distribution/integration planning concepts, methodologies and development technologies.     

Open for business: a new approach to commercialisation of the International Space Station

The International Space Station (ISS) is the result of collaboration between 15 countries [Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) between the Governments of Canada, the United States of America, Japan, Russia and ESA member States, concerning co-operation on the civil International Space Station, 1998]. Originally planned as a scientific facility, a shift in policy of the partners has recently occurred towards commercialisation of the Station. This article is a response to this policy shift. Based on a report prepared by a Master of Space Studies class at ISU, it set outs to identify the major constraints in which the potential commercial user must operate and proposes solutions for both commercial user and the partner space agencies to facilitate this commercialisation process. At a time when spacefaring nations face reduced fiscal resources and increasing pressure from their constituencies to justify the huge costs of the ISS, commercialising utilisation seems a logical solution. Clearly, successful commercialisation can help recover some of the development and operating costs of the ISS. The structure of the article is divided into two main parts. The first part proposes new solutions to existing constraint to ISS commercialisation in areas of policy, law, technology and business. Its conclusions are integrated and unified into A New Approach towards ISS commercialisation. This approach is then applied in part two to two case studies: the International Space Satellite Servicing Station (I4S) and protein crystallisation. The article then concludes with a recommended approach to the future of ISS commercialisation.     

欧洲航天动力规划与我国空间推进技术发展对策

在法国凡尔塞举行的第六届国际空间会议上,欧洲航天比较详尽地向世界展示了其航天动力技术的过去、现在和未来.本文记录了本次会议的情况,分析了当前国内外航天动力的发展趋势和我国空间推进技术现状,提出了我国空间推进技术的发展建议.     

航天工程技术保障投资的分配模型研究

研究了航天工程技术保障投资分配决策的影响因素，建立了技术保障投资分配的总体模型和投资比例分配模型，确立了技术保障项目投资预算额、投资分配比例以及技术保障投资总额之间的关系；依据各影响因素的权重和专家们的经验判断，计算出了每个技术保障投资项目的综合得分，并以此为基础确定了投资分配的比例值，从而使得投资分配过程得以量化，而且科学、合理。     

Space technology for humanity: A profile for the coming 50 years

Applications of space technology have provided remarkable benefits for humanity since the dawn of the Space Age and India presents an excellent example of the way space is able to benefit developing countries in areas as divergent as communications, education, disaster management, health-care, environmental monitoring, agriculture, water management and mapping. Nevertheless access to these benefits remains inequitable, with a large number of mainly developing countries and poorer sections of society not yet able to share in them. In addition, the world faces serious global challenges in the coming 50 years. The author discusses these challenges and the way they can be met using space technology, as well as ways of making space more inclusive. Key will be creating multilateral systems of systems. Some reform of laws and policies will also be needed.     

Space: The routes of the future

This paper is an attempt to describe the interplay of factors and constraints that will shape the future of space technology. A demand-pull relationship with the needs of global society is tending to become dominant, except with regard to the field of manned spaceflight. Against this background some guidelines for a European space policy are proposed.     

National visions of European space governance: Elements for a new institutional architecture

The governance of space activities in Europe remains an open question, even more so since the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty, and the latest EC document and ESA declaration have revived the debate. This paper considers the strengths and weaknesses of the current governance model, and compares recent French, German, Italian and UK national documents in order to highlight their vision of space governance in Europe. Some elements of agreement emerge but, more interestingly, this comparison highlights their differences, especially with regard to the role of the EU as a supranational actor in the space domain.