User issues and Earth observation data policy

The second workshop of the EOPOLE project was held in Cosenza, Italy, 10–12 May 1999, organised by Microwave Consultant Engineering (MiCE). Its purpose was to address the user issues related to Earth observation data policy. This report presents the main conclusions of the workshop. The different approaches among lead departments within national governments emerged as one of the main areas of which users in Europe need to be aware.     

Gravity and perceptual stability during translational head movement on earth and in microgravity

We measured the amount of visual movement judged consistent with translational head movement under normal and microgravity conditions. Subjects wore a virtual reality helmet in which the ratio of the movement of the world to the movement of the head (visual gain) was variable. Using the method of adjustment under normal gravity 10 subjects adjusted the visual gain until the visual world appeared stable during head movements that were either parallel or orthogonal to gravity. Using the method of constant stimuli under normal gravity, seven subjects moved their heads and judged whether the virtual world appeared to move “with” or “against” their movement for several visual gains. One subject repeated the constant stimuli judgements in microgravity during parabolic flight. The accuracy of judgements appeared unaffected by the direction or absence of gravity. Only the variability appeared affected by the absence of gravity. These results are discussed in relation to discomfort during head movements in microgravity.     

Human dimensions in space development

Space exploration is now moving beyond the stage when technical development dominated research. As thinking shifts towards the problems of long-term colonization of the Solar System, the biological and behavioural sciences must make major contributions. This article outlines some of the issues which must be addressed, such as group behaviour and dynamics in space flight, the environment created at space stations and other outposts, recruitment and training of suitable spacefarers, and the planning and governing of space settlements. Ten dimensions of the human aspect of space habitation are described and an indication given of how they may form the basis for a new taxonomy of space planning, operations and management.     

Space theme parks: Promoting space to the public

China's advances in space include plans for a state-of-the-art space theme park, based on a new launch center, which promises to show up the outdated and ‘user unfriendly’ public visitor centers at most US space sites. Yet providing better public outreach in the form of theme parks would both inspire large numbers of the general population and provide a useful source of revenue. NASA should show more imagination in the exhibits and facilities it present to the public; it could use various science museums and Hollywood as models.     

The impact of culture on human and space development--new millennial challenge

The Space Age is causing new applications to the concept of culture, a human coping tool. The exploration and exploitation of outer space resources are altering human culture both on Earth and in orbit. For the first time in history, our species need not merely react and adapt to environment, but plan for a space culture appropriate for extraterrestrial migration. The impact of culture can be analyzed in terms of how space developments alter human perceptions and behavior on this planet; the emergence of a new culture to suit the orbital environment; the organizations that build spacecraft and deploy people aloft; and the technological systems created for spacefaring. This article presents a paradigm for analyzing some of the non-technical human factors involved in space undertakings. It also offers a method for classifying a culture according to ten categories which may be applied both to a macroculture, such as a lunar base; or a microculture, such as a space agency or crew. Human enterprise in space is viewed as both altering the species, and providing a challenge for expanded behavioral and biological scientific research on living and working in space.     

Earth observation data pricing policy

Pricing policy for Earth observation data continues to be a problem for both supplier organizations and user organizations: there are incompatible or conflicting pricing policies used by different organizations in the Earth observation sector. This paper analyses the issues in Earth observation data pricing in two ways. First, it analyses the policy foundations which underlie Earth observation data pricing, such as return on investment, the basis of pricing policy and access conditions. Second, it presents five policy options for the pricing of Earth observation data, namely free data, marginal cost price, market driven price, two tier pricing and rebalancing of government funding. The paper concludes with an analysis of the forces acting on Earth observation data pricing policy.     

Earth observation data archiving in the USA and Europe

The growing number of Earth observation satellites are producing exponential increases in the amount of data produced. These data sets contain valuable information on the state of the environment to accurately monitor and predict the impact of global change. Global change investigations require access to long-term data. This paper is a review of the current archiving practices of NOAA, NASA, SPOT, ESA and the DLR. It is demonstrated that despite recognition at a regional and organisational level of the importance of data archiving much work remains to be done. Funding responsibility is identified as a particularly problematic area of data archiving: it is an issue along with the need for easy accessibility and adequate metadata that will need to be resolved to ensure that future generations have access to adequate Earth observation data archives.