 |
|
Space Exploration 3.0 about to begin
November 05, 2007Space exploration is about to enter a third age where nations will cooperate to explore the solar system.
Nicolas Peter, a research fellow at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), told the meeting in Vienna that the era of launching space missions to bolster national prestige was long past and that new opportunities for cooperation had emerged since the end of the Cold War. He predicted that an imminent third phase of space exploration could inspire nations to work together in a spirit of discovery.
The Vienna conference Humans in Outer Space - Interdisciplinary Odysseys on October 11-12, was billed as "the first comprehensive trans-disciplinary dialogue on humans in outer space." It brought space scientists face to face with historians, lawyers, political analysts, philosophers, sociologists, psychologists, anthropologists, writers and others. It was organised jointly by the European Science Foundation (ESF), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Vienna-based ESPI.
Until recently the humanities had little input into European space policy which has been dominated by political and industrial as well as scientific considerations. The conference is developing the 'Vienna Vision on Humans in Outer Space' which will establish a clear voice for a new and broader constituency to contribute to the future of human beings in space.
Peter said there had been two phases of space exploration since the first Sputnik satellite was launched 50 years ago. The first phase, up to the early 1990s, was driven by Cold War rivalry between the US and the former USSR with cooperation extended to political allies of the two principal space powers. The second phase, up to the present, has seen the emphasis shift to scientific and practical applications of space with many new countries developing space programmes.
The number of space agencies in the world has been steadily rising since the 1990s and reached 36 in 2005. Bilateral and multilateral agreements between agencies are also growing. The advent of the International Space Station has it made it possible for many countries to take part in long-term, structured programmes of space research.
What Peter described as "Space Exploration 3.0" is about to begin.
He said that while humans will play a major role in space in future it would no longer be in the context of competing states but in cooperation between many parties. "It will involve industry, universities and other non-governmental organisations. This adventure will be driven primarily by a quest for knowledge, involving not only the hard sciences but arts and humanities as well. We're evolving towards an open market situation where a lot of new actors will be able to join the new space race."
The catalyst for the third phase of space exploration, Peter said, was a speech by US President George Bush in January 2004 in which he called on other nations "to share the challenges and opportunities of this new era of discovery."
Fourteen space agencies - including big players from the US, Russia, China, Japan, India and Europe - agreed a new global exploration strategy last May. It provided for collaboration on robotic and human exploration of the solar system including the Moon, Mars, the asteroids and the moons of the giant planets.
Peter said that cooperation allowed partners to make the best use of resources and to mount missions that would not otherwise be possible. Cooperation lent legitimacy to space projects and made them internationally credible. He pointed out that internationally agreed projects were also less vulnerable to cancellation through domestic political or financial problems. "So in this context international cooperation is not only seen as a political driver but a building block, a critical enabler for any long-term space activities and in particular, exploration activities."
He added that it was important for space to be open to all countries and not just those with the technical means to build and launch spacecraft. He said there was no conflict between exploratory and economic motives for being in space and called for a future of "utilitarian exploration".
Space exploration, he said, could inspire nations to work together for a common purpose. "For anyone who had the chance to witness the first Moon landing, it was certainly something really important to a lot of people and not only in the US," he said. "However, that was not international cooperation. A global exploration strategy will allow humanity to assemble behind a peaceful goal. Space exploration is mankind's next grand challenge."
European Science Foundation
Until recently the humanities had little input into European space policy which has been dominated by political and industrial as well as scientific considerations. The conference is developing the 'Vienna Vision on Humans in Outer Space' which will establish a clear voice for a new and broader constituency to contribute to the future of human beings in space.
Peter said there had been two phases of space exploration since the first Sputnik satellite was launched 50 years ago. The first phase, up to the early 1990s, was driven by Cold War rivalry between the US and the former USSR with cooperation extended to political allies of the two principal space powers. The second phase, up to the present, has seen the emphasis shift to scientific and practical applications of space with many new countries developing space programmes.
The number of space agencies in the world has been steadily rising since the 1990s and reached 36 in 2005. Bilateral and multilateral agreements between agencies are also growing. The advent of the International Space Station has it made it possible for many countries to take part in long-term, structured programmes of space research.
What Peter described as "Space Exploration 3.0" is about to begin.
He said that while humans will play a major role in space in future it would no longer be in the context of competing states but in cooperation between many parties. "It will involve industry, universities and other non-governmental organisations. This adventure will be driven primarily by a quest for knowledge, involving not only the hard sciences but arts and humanities as well. We're evolving towards an open market situation where a lot of new actors will be able to join the new space race."
The catalyst for the third phase of space exploration, Peter said, was a speech by US President George Bush in January 2004 in which he called on other nations "to share the challenges and opportunities of this new era of discovery."
Fourteen space agencies - including big players from the US, Russia, China, Japan, India and Europe - agreed a new global exploration strategy last May. It provided for collaboration on robotic and human exploration of the solar system including the Moon, Mars, the asteroids and the moons of the giant planets.
Peter said that cooperation allowed partners to make the best use of resources and to mount missions that would not otherwise be possible. Cooperation lent legitimacy to space projects and made them internationally credible. He pointed out that internationally agreed projects were also less vulnerable to cancellation through domestic political or financial problems. "So in this context international cooperation is not only seen as a political driver but a building block, a critical enabler for any long-term space activities and in particular, exploration activities."
He added that it was important for space to be open to all countries and not just those with the technical means to build and launch spacecraft. He said there was no conflict between exploratory and economic motives for being in space and called for a future of "utilitarian exploration".
Space exploration, he said, could inspire nations to work together for a common purpose. "For anyone who had the chance to witness the first Moon landing, it was certainly something really important to a lot of people and not only in the US," he said. "However, that was not international cooperation. A global exploration strategy will allow humanity to assemble behind a peaceful goal. Space exploration is mankind's next grand challenge."
European Science Foundation
Space Exploration News and Current Space Exploration Events RSSChinese earthquake provides lessons for future
The May 12 Sichuan earthquake in China was unexpectedly large. Analysis of the area, however, now shows that topographic characteristics of the highly mountainous area identified the mountain range as active and could have pointed to the earthquake hazard. Topographic analysis can help evaluate other, similar fault areas for seismic risk, according to geologists from Penn State and Arizona State University.
The International Space Station, a test-bed for future space exploration
Joint statement by the International Space Station Heads of Agency ESA PR 33-2008. The Heads of the International Space Station (ISS) Agencies from Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia and the United States met today at ESA Headquarters in Paris, France, to review ISS cooperation.
Engineering researcher seeks answers to asteroid deflection
An Asteroid Deflection Research Center (ADRC) has been established on the Iowa State campus to bring researchers from around the world to develop asteroid deflection technologies. The center was signed into effect in April by the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.
Foot-dragging Mars rover finds Yellowstone-like hot spring deposits
Deposits of nearly pure silica discovered by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit in Gusev Crater formed when volcanic steam or hot water (or maybe both) percolated through the ground.
Artificial intelligence boosts science from Mars
Artificial intelligence (AI) being used at the European Space Operations Centre is giving a powerful boost to ESA's Mars Express as it searches for signs of past or present life on the Red Planet.
Missions to Mars
The European Space Agency (ESA) has chosen the GSI accelerator facility to assess radiation risks that astronauts will be exposed to on a Mars mission.
International team of scientists discover clue to delay of life on Earth
Scientists from around the world have reconstructed changes in Earth's ancient ocean chemistry during a broad sweep of geological time, from about 2.5 to 0.5 billion years ago.
Brain stem cells sensitive to space radiation
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) scientists recently led a team of researchers to study potential effects of space radiation on astronauts.
Solving solar system quandaries is simple: Just flip-flop the position of Uranus and Neptune
Quick: What's the order of the planets in the solar system? Need a little help? Maybe the following mnemonic rings a bell: "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Up Nine Pizzas." It's useful for remembering the order of the planets today, but it wouldn't have been as useful in the past, and not just because the International Astronomical Union demoted Pluto to "dwarf planet" last year. The reason this mnemonic wouldn't have worked is because the planets weren't always in the order they are today. Four billion years ago, early in the solar system's evolution, Uranus and Neptune switched places.
Helium isotopes point to the best sources of geothermal energy
With fossil fuel sources depleting and global warming on the rise, exploring alternative means of power for humans is a necessary reality.
More Space Exploration News Articles
 | Dark Mission: The Secret History of NASA by Richard C. Hoagland, Mike Bara For most Americans, the word NASA suggests a squeaky-clean image of technological infallibility. Yet the truth is that NASA was born in a lie, and has concealed the truths about its occult origins. Dark Mission documents this seemingly wild assertion. Why is the Bush administration intent on returning to the moon as quickly as possible? What are the reasons for the current “space... |
 | George's Secret Key to the Universe by Stephen Hawking, Lucy Hawking Stephen Hawking, author of the multi-million copy bestselling A Brief History of Time, and his daughter Lucy explain the universe to readers of all ages. George's parents, who have always been wary of technology, warn him about their new neighbors: Eric is a scientist and his daughter, Annie, seems to be following in his footsteps. But when George befriends them and Cosmos, their super-computer,... |
 | The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe Tom Wolfe began The Right Stuff at a time when it was unfashionable to contemplate American heroism. Nixon had left the White House in disgrace, the nation was reeling from the catastrophe of Vietnam, and in 1979--the year the book appeared--Americans were being held hostage by Iranian militants. Yet it was exactly the anachronistic courage of his subjects that captivated Wolfe. In his... |
 | 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke When an enigmatic monolith is found buried on the moon, scientists are amazed to discover that it's at least 3 million years old. Even more amazing, after it's unearthed the artifact releases a powerful signal aimed at Saturn. What sort of alarm has been triggered? To find out, a manned spacecraft, the Discovery, is sent to investigate. Its crew is highly trained--the best--and they are... |
 | How Apollo Flew to the Moon (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration) by W. David Woods Out of the technological battlefield of World War II came a team of gifted German engineers and designers who developed the vengeance weapon, the V-2, which evolved into the peaceful, powerful Saturn V rocket to take men to the Moon. David Woods tells the exciting story, starting from America’s post war astronautical research facilities, that used the V-2 for the development of the robust,... |
 | Apollo 13 by Jeffrey Kluger, James Lovell On April 13, 1970, three American astronauts were on their way to the moon when a mysterious explosion rocked their ship, forcing them to abandon the main ship and spend four days in the tiny lunar module which was intended to support two men for two days. A harrowing story of danger, courage and brilliant off-the-cuff engineering solutions which resulted in a dramatic... |
 | Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space by Carl Sagan "FASCINATING . . . MEMORABLE . . . REVEALING . . . PERHAPS THE BEST OF CARL SAGAN'S BOOKS."--The Washington Post Book World (front page review)In Cosmos, the late astronomer Carl Sagan cast his gaze over the magnificent mystery of the Universe and made it accessible to millions of people around the world. Now in this stunning sequel, Carl Sagan completes his revolutionary journey through space... |
 | Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13 by Jeffrey Kluger, James Lovell In April 1970, during the glory days of the Apollo space program, NASA sent Navy Captain Jim Lovell and two other astronauts on America's fifth mission to the moon. Only fifty-five hours into the flight of Apollo 13, disaster struck: a mysterious explosion rocked the ship, and soon its oxygen and power began draining away. Commander Lovell and his crew watched in alarm as the cockpit grew darker,... |
 | Failure is not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond by Gene Kranz In 1957, the Russians launched Sputnik and the ensuing space race. Three years later, Gene Kranz left his aircraft testing job to join NASA and champion the American cause. What he found was an embryonic department run by whiz kids (such as himself), sharp engineers and technicians who had to create the Mercury mission rules and procedure from the ground up. As he says, "Since there were no books... |
 | Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon (Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12 (Awards)) by Catherine Thimmesh Here is a rare perspective on a story we only thought we knew. For Apollo 11, the first moon landing, is a story that belongs to many, not just the few and famous. It belongs to the seamstress who put together twenty-two layers of fabric for each space suit. To the engineers who created a special heat shield to protect the capsule during its fiery reentry. It belongs to the flight directors,... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |