The Columbus programme : European steps towards the considered development of near-Earth space

The European Space Agency's Columbus Programme is nearing the end of its study phase and European ministers now need to take decisions on proceeding with the development phase. Columbus is directed towards the creation of an autonomous European space capability, and at the same time towards furthering genuine partnership with the USA on the international Space Station. This article reviews the elements which make up the Columbus Programme, and examines their probable developments over the next few years. The need for ESA to ensure coherence among the major European space initiatives is stressed.     

Sputnik fever — again?

The author offers some comments on the drawbacks of another US-Soviet space race. She compares the relative positions of the USA and the USSR in various areas of space science and technology, and concludes that the USSR does not lead in all areas. More importantly, she argues that it is distressing still to be portraying the superpowers as in a race in space. ‘Sputnik fever’ the first time round showed that a space race does not lead to a strong, long-term US space programme. She argues that cooperation in some areas — perhaps a trip to Mars — could b an alternative.     

决策者寄语

UK manufacturing technologies has a strong capalility in aeraspace camponent praduction and pracesses. CIMT2009 is an important opportunity for the UK to demonstrate this     

李文正飞机设计专家

您多年从事飞机设计工作,请您谈一谈随着技术的发展我国飞机设计水平取得了哪些突破以及与国外航空工业大国相比,我国在飞机设计上存在怎样的差距。     

芬兰,通往2010年世博会之路

世博会中的芬兰:建筑、设计和创造力芬兰一直是世界博览会积极的参与者。从第一届1851年伦敦世博会开始就已开始崭露头角,虽然当时作为俄国的一部分(芬兰     

Advanced flight computing technologies for validation by NASA's new millennium program

The New Millennium Program (NMP) consists of a series of Deep-Space and Earth Orbiting missions that are technology-driven, in contrast to the more traditional science-driven space exploration missions of the past. These flights are designed to validate technologies that will enable a new era of low-cost highly miniaturized and highly capable spacebome applications in the new millennium. In addition to the series of flight projects managed by separate flight teams, the NMP technology initiatives are managed by the following six focused technology programs: Microelectronics Systems, Autonomy, Telecommunications, Instrument Technologies and Architectures, In-Situ Instruments and Micro-electromechanical Systems, and Modular and Multifunctional Systems. Each technology program is managed as an Integrated Product Development Team (IPDT) of government, academic, and industry partners. In this paper, we will describe elements of the technology roadmap proposed by the NMP Microelectronics IPDT. Moreover, we will relate the proposed technology roadmap to existing NASA technology development programs, such as the Advanced Flight Computing (AFC) program, and the Remote Exploration and Experimentation (REE) program, which constitute part of the on-going NASA technology development pipeline. We will also describe the Microelectronics Systems technologies that have been accepted as part of the first New Millennium Deep-Space One spacecraft, which is an asteroid fly-by mission scheduled for launched in July 1998.     

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.