It''s all a matter of fact. After all, fact matters

The fourth annual ‘British Rocketry Oral History Project’ (BROHP) conference was held from 2 to 4 April 2002, again in the magnificent grounds of Charterhouse School in Surrey. The conference marked a new point in its brief history, enlarged in scope and depth to extend to a new audience; yet one point remained constant throughout, namely that ‘history matters’. This report discusses the themes of the 2002 conference.     

Increasing global awareness of space activities: World Space Week 2001

This report describes the background to and rationale for World Space Week, now an annual event aiming to increase public awareness of the benefits of peaceful space use and to act as an educational tool for the young. Examples of typical activities in a variety of countries are presented. The report concludes with recommendations—such as rescheduling existing events to the period of World Space Week—to make the event even more successful.     

Improved space safety for astronauts

The 2003 Columbia accident demonstrated that spaceflight remains a risky and dangerous human endeavor, yet there have been few ‘unofficial’ investigations into astronaut safety. This report summarizes the findings of one such study by George Washington University's Space & Advanced Communications Research Institute—e.g. that simplicity of design may be better than complexity, that cargo missions would be better carried out robotically and that all new space transportation systems should be developed to common international standards—before examining ways that international cooperation can advance the cause of space safety. In establishing future space safety standards input from a wider range of participants (industry, universities and private research institutes, as well as space agencies, etc.) will need to be sought.     

Shaping a legal framework for the commercial use of outer space: recommendations and conclusions from Project 2001

Private and commercial activity in outer space still poses challenges to space law and policy. Within ‘Project 2001’—a legal research project by the University of Cologne's Institute of Air and Space Law and the German Aerospace Center (DLR)—six international expert working groups examined international and national laws, in order to identify gaps and, where necessary, propose improvements to the present legal framework for private space activities. The results were presented and discussed at an international colloquium in May 2001 in Cologne, Germany, where final conclusions have been drawn. This report presents a summary of the project's work and main conclusions, which are documented in full in a comprehensive book to be published in May 2002.     

Space law conference 2001 : Legal challenges and commercial opportunities for Asia

Many eminent space lawyers gathered in Singapore to attend the first space law conference to be held in South East Asia. Topics for discussion—which included commercialization of space activities and its effect on the needs of developing countries, and the legal issues of expanding communications and navigation satellite services—were of particular interest to the region. This report summarizes the presentations in each session and presents the conclusions and recommendations—such as the need for a legal instrument to regulate remote sensing—produced.     

Tackling the barriers to progress

Over 200 people attended the ‘International Business in Space’ conference, organized by the Center for Space Policy Inc, Cambridge, MA, USA, in Washington, DC, 9–11 January 1985. The official focus - commercial space developments in the USA, Canada, Europe and Japan - was somewhat of a misnomer. While US, Canadian and European views and interests were well represented, the Japanese element was almost completely absent. Virtually every category of organization likely to be involved in the ‘industrialization of space’ was strongly represented: government agencies, major and medium-sized aerospace companies, entrepreneurial space firms, and service organizations, eg consulting groups, law firms and financial institutions. Not surprisingly at this stage, attendance by non-aerospace potential users of space was very weak. This report highlights two major themes - international cooperation and the role of overnments.     

Inter-Parliamentary Union seeks peace in outer space

The Centenary Conference of the Inter-Parliamentary Union took place in London on 4–9 September 1989. Its deliberations focused largely on the issue of peaceful access to space and its exploitation for the benefit of all mankind. A resolution on the subject was adopted (see Documentation section of this issue). This report outlines the debate.     

The comparative analysis of the forecasts of development of rocket propulsion in past and now

Consideration is being given to use the known long and short forecasts of development of rocket engines in past - at the beginning of development of a missile engineering (K. Tsiolkovsky etc. pioneers of rocket propulsion); on the eve of launching of the artificial satellite of Earth (A. Blagonravov); after manned flight of Yu. Gagarin (V. Gluchko); after manned flight on Moon (“ The Forecasts on 2001 ” on materials of readings R. Goddard in USA); in middle of 70-s' years (D. Sevruk, V. Prisniakov) and at the end of 20 centure. Last years under the initiative R. Beichel and M. Pouliquen IAA. Advanced Propulsion Working Group carries out large researches on definition of the tendencies of development of rocket propulsion for the next forty years, the outcomes which one will be used in the report. The comparison of development of rocket propulsion expected to the end of 20 century and real-life is given. The report analyses the errors of the forecasts of the past - the absence reliable prognostic procedure; the euphoria of the maiden successes of conquest of space; dominance of military and political- propaganda motives of implementation of the space programs before economical; to keep developments secret; competition of two super-powers USSR and USA etc.     

A European view on UNISPACE III follow-up

Preparations for the third UN Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III) were intense. The conference itself was a success. But what forms will the follow-up take? Just reading the 150-page report is an effort in itself. Having played a central part in the preparations and organization, Europe fully appreciates the need to build on the spirit of cooperation which emerged from UNISPACE III. In November 1999, the European States gathered to analyze the results of the conference and to set a course for their future participation in the United Nations Programme on Space Applications (UNPSA), which is mainly done through ESA, and for their participation in the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS), which is done through coordination among ESA Member States. This article presents the authors’ personal accounts of the results of the European efforts around UNISPACE III and shows how ‘European foreign policy’ can work in international space policy. It also seeks to illustrate Europe's commitment to putting space technology to work for the benefit of development throughout the world.     

Space WARC-85: much left undone

Dr Martinez reports here on the ITU Space WARC-85 conference, Geneva, August–September 1985. This report outlines the salient decisions of the conference and considers their implications for the Conference's second session in 1988.     

A market for GMES? Results of the Graz conference

A new step in defining Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) was undertaken in April 2006 by the Austrian Presidency of the EU Council. Together with the European Commission, it organised a conference on ‘A Market for GMES in Europe and its Regions- the Graz Dialogue’. Prepared by the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), the conference assembled experts and users of GMES, who had agreed upon specific issues for discussion. The outcomes of the workshops were then brought to the Graz conference for wider reflection and discussion and summed up in the Graz Declaration (reprinted in the documentation section of this issue), which is a strategic, economic and regional action plan for GMES for the next 10 years, later endorsed by the Competitiveness Council at the end of May. This report presents the goals and outcomes of the conference and underlines the positive impulses it gave to GMES.     

Inflection points in the development of energy in space

Basing his comments around a report on the Space Power Systems 1997 conference, ‘Energy and Space for Humanity’, held in Montreal, 24-28 August 1997, Richard Boudreault describes the progress made in getting the concept of power from space accepted by the terrestrial utilities. Increasing worries about the sustainability of current power sources together with deregulation of power distribution make space power more attractive. However, the high cost of access to space is a barrier, though this is starting to fall.     

International outer space law

This report is an edited version of a talk given by Professor Christol at the Conference on Law and Life in Space, held at the Center for Aerospace Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, in September 1986. Professor Christol reviews the principles of space law as they relate to the relations between states, through existing treaties and agreements. He offers a hope that, through ‘strategic stability’, conditions will emerge for further agreements, and for public international outer space law to become more rigorous.     

Taking stock of Europe's developing space policy: from the European space policy workshops to the European space policy forum

A series of workshops designed to make up for the lack of high-level, informal discussion of European space policy has been running—with a gap during formulation of the EC Green/White Paper on this subject—since September 2002. In view of the progress made in establishing a coherent European strategy, and of various other recent events, such as China's entry into the human spaceflight field, the organizers intend not only to continue the series but also to establish a more permanent, research-oriented European Space Policy Foundation (ESPF). Following a report on the proceedings of the third workshop, held in September 2003, which covered developing an overall European policy, new applications (Galileo and GMES) and human spaceflight, the authors set out a proposal for an ESPF and present the six major research themes it would aim to investigate.     

Satellite remote sensing in aid of development: the Tunis Declaration

A policy statement of the Centre Régional de Télédétection des Etats de l’Afrique du Nord (CRTEAN) (North African Centre for Remote Sensing) was prepared in the wake of a conference, held in Tunis, on the use of remote sensing to aid development. This report briefly describes the areas covered by the seminar, provides information on the structure and activities of the CRTEAN and reproduces the policy document, known as the Tunis Declaration.     

Archives for Earth observation data

The fifth workshop of the EOPOLE project¹ was held in Seville, Spain, 17–19 January 2000, with the purpose of forming an opinion on European Earth observation data archiving policy. This report discusses the growing size and importance of EO data archives and presents the main conclusions of the workshop. The case is made for the establishment of a European centre for data archiving and users are urged to become more involved in archiving policy.     

Which direction for space? (Part II)

The ISU held its 9th annual symposium in Strasbourg from 30 November to 2 December 2004, with the theme ‘Civil, Commercial and Security Space: What will drive the Next Decade?’ Speakers from industry, academe, space agencies, international organizations and the military presented a range of views on where the different sectors that make up space activity might be headed and, on the final day, sectoral discussion groups attempted to draw together some of the themes that had emerged. This report is an edited version of ISU President Michael Simpson's closing speech, in which he summed up the findings of the discussion groups. The growing importance of user demand was considered likely to present the biggest change to the way space activity is carried out.     

Transforming Japan's space policy-making

Since its beginning the objective of Japanese space policy has been to ‘catch up’ with advanced spacefaring countries. However, this catching-up strategy is now facing several difficulties, because of the downturn in the economy and changing political and technological circumstances. In such circumstances the Japanese space community has realized the need to change its national space strategy. In 2005 a group of powerful Japanese politicians issued a report on constructing a national space strategy, which recommended that the government establish a new decision-making structure by creating a new Basic Law of Space Activities. These efforts underline the need for Japanese space to shift the focus of its policy from technological development to applications.     

The famous son of Ukrainian people V.I. Voznyuk who has provided launch of all ballistic missiles of the cosmodrome Kapustin Yar

The history of the life of V.I. Voznyuk is a history of the phenomenon of the Soviet rocket progress when the engineers with experience of launch of military rocket of small radius of action were testing the ballistic missiles. The remarkable and little-known destiny of Voznuk is the history of the Soviet rocket technology experts who had a severe practical schooling of command by the military forces of the first combat missiles “Katucha” during the grim military years (including the grandiose fight in Stalingrad) and then they have continued to launch the ballistic missiles. V.I. Voznyuk worked as the chief of the first Soviet cosmodrome Kapustin Yar for almost 30 years—since the most difficult moment of its organization. He organized a launch of the first Soviet ballistic missiles R-1, R-2, R-5M of S. Korolev. This report is about the outstanding achievement of the organizing ability of V.I. Voznyuk—about the launch of a missile with a nuclear warhead in 1956. V.I. Voznyuk closes a unique chain in the world of outstanding figures of space-rocket technology who were born or lived in Ukraine from designers of missile up to the organizers of its manufacture and now up to the organizers of the tests of rockets—J. Aizenberg, V. Budnik, O. Baclanov, V. Dogujiev, M. Galasj, N. Gerasuta, V. Gluschko, B. Gubanov, A. Gudimenko, I. Ivanov, G. Kesunjko, B. Konoplev, S. Korolev, V. Kovtunenko, V. Kukuschkin, O. Makarov, A. Nedaivoda, M. Reshetniyov, Yu. Semenov, V. Sergeev, Yu. Smetanin, V. Tchelomey, D. Torchiy, V. Utkin and M. Yangel.     

Earth Observation Data Policy and Europe (EOPOLE)

A project has recently begun to review, coordinate and help formulate European Earth observation data policy. The project held its first of several workshops at University College London, 11–13 January 1999. The purpose of the first workshop was to conduct a review of the state-of-the-art in Earth observation data policy in Europe. All the EOPOLE team members gave presentations, and an extended discussion was held with Roy Gibson, former Director General of the European Space Agency, as the invited expert. This report describes the raison d'etre of EOPOLE and presents the main conclusions of the first workshop.