OUTER SPACE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL SUBCOMMITTEE CONCLUDES 41ST SESSION IN VIENNA
| Press Release OS/1797 |
OUTER SPACE SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL SUBCOMMITTEE CONCLUDES 41ST SESSION IN VIENNA
Reviews Implementation of Recommendations
Of UNISPACE III, Discusses Space-based Telemedicine
(Reissued as received.)
VIENNA, 1 March (UN Information Service) -- Reviewing the implementation of the recommendations of the Third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in 1999 (UNISPACE III), and preparing for the General Assembly’s review in October 2004 of the implementation of the recommendations of UNISPACE III, were the key agenda items of the 41st session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, which was held in Vienna from 16 to 27 February 2004.
“Through space applications, we can help restore the human dignity of those people who have not had opportunities to benefit from development. For this to happen we now need to come up with a credible and realistic plan and a collective commitment to make space tools available to meet the basic needs of people”, the Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, Sergio Camacho-Lara, stressed in his opening statement to the members of the Subcommittee.
Other topics of discussion included the review of possible guidelines on how to mitigate space debris, the use of nuclear power sources in outer space, space-based disaster management, and space-system-based telemedicine.
The Subcommittee discussed matters relating to remote sensing of the Earth by satellites, including applications for developing countries and monitoring of the Earth’s environment. A symposium on the topic of small satellite applications in agriculture, health and human security was held, and presentations were made by industry representatives.
A new topic of discussion was solar-terrestrial physics, which looks at the scientific processes that govern variability in the Sun-Earth system, how solar variability affects the Earth’s environment, both in the short and long term, and those aspects of the Sun-Earth system that have consequences for life and society, such as the effect of the Sun’s variability on space systems and human space flight, electric power transmission, long-range radar, as well as the well-being of passengers in high altitude aircraft. The ability to predict space weather, caused by solar variability, could assist in preventing or minimizing the impact of severe magnetic storms on space-based services and systems and on ground power systems. There were a number of presentations by leading experts in the field on such topics as the Sun-Earth plasma environment and the scientific importance and socio-economic efficiency of solar-terrestrial physics programmes.
Member States reviewed the activities of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications in 2003 and the planned activities for 2004. The Programme, implemented by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, works to improve the use of space science and technology for the economic and social development of all nations, in particular developing countries. Within the framework of the Programme, the Office conducts training courses, workshops, seminars and other activities on applications and capacity-building in such areas as remote sensing, satellite communications, satellite meteorology, search and rescue, basic space science, satellite navigation and space law.
Space-system-based telemedicine
The discussion on space-system-based telemedicine was a new agenda item for the Subcommittee, considered under a multi-year work plan. Delegates were briefed on several initiatives involving the use of space technology for medical services and public health in areas such as epidemiology, tele-surgery, offsite radiology services, cardiac monitoring and medical consultations. The Subcommittee noted the significant benefits of space-based telemedicine in providing medical expertise to remote mobile and static locations that were not connected to the terrestrial telecommunication network, in particular for emergency response following a disaster.
Disaster management
The Subcommittee decided to continue its review of space-system-based disaster management through a new multi-year work plan for the period 2005-2007. The work plan aims to review, among other things, the recommendations of the Action Team on Disaster Management, which calls for the establishment of an integrated, global space-based natural disaster management system. The plan also aims at reviewing the status of earthquake prediction capabilities using data from satellites. It was also agreed that the exchange of information among the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, International Telecommunication Union, other United Nations specialized agencies and regional disaster management structures on their activities in space-system-based disaster management support should be enhanced.
Space debris
The Subcommittee agreed that Member States should pay more attention to the problem of collision of space objects with space debris, particularly those with nuclear power sources on board. Another important aspect of space debris that should be considered is its re-entry into the atmosphere. The Subcommittee also agreed that national research on space debris should continue and that Member States should make available to all interested parties the results of that research, including information on practices that had proved effective in minimizing the creation of space debris.
Nuclear power sources
The Subcommittee continued its review of the use of nuclear power sources in outer space. The Subcommittee heard presentations on topics such as future exploration and nuclear power systems and the applications enabled or enhanced by space nuclear power sources. The Subcommittee, through its Working Group on Nuclear Power Sources in Outer Space, also discussed potential options for establishing possible cooperation between the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and the International Atomic Energy Agency in an effort to develop an international technically based framework of goals and recommendations for the safety of planned and currently foreseeable nuclear power source applications.
Exhibition
A special exhibition entitled “Space State-Ukraine” was on display at the Vienna International Centre during the session of the Subcommittee. The exhibition, jointly organized by the Office for Outer Space Affairs and the National Space Agency of Ukraine, introduced the country’s space industry, displaying models of rockets and launch vehicles built by Ukraine. Two further exhibitions were on display during the session of the Subcommittee: one on “Mars Exploration” and the other on “Solar-terrestrial physics”, both co-organized by the United States and the Office for Outer Space Affairs.
Membership
The Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, like the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (its parent Committee), has the following Member States: Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela and Viet Nam.
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA) implements the decisions of the General Assembly and of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its two subcommittees, the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee and the Legal Subcommittee. The Office is responsible for promoting international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space, and assisting developing countries in using space science and technology. Located in Vienna, Austria, OOSA maintains a Web site at http://www.oosa.unvienna.org.
For more information, contact: Vienna International Centre, PO Box 500, A-1400 Vienna, Austria, tel.: (+43-1) 26060 4666, fax: (+43-1) 26060 5899, e-mail: UNIS@unvienna.org, Web site: http://www.unis.unvienna.org
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