MariusIoan Piso Romanian Space Agency

1
Marius-Ioan PisoRomanian Space Agency

• Regional
• Preparatory Conference on UNISPACE III
• for Eastern Europe

Information Exchange in Education and Research in
Space Science and Technology through a Network
Approach
Bucharest, ROMANIA, 25-29 January, 1999
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Contents

• Education and Training in Space Science and
  Technology
• Central Eastern and South Eastern Europe Network
• Project proposals

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References

• 1 Reports of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses
  of Outer Space at its 40th and 41st Sessions,
  United Nations Documents A/51/xx, General
  Assembly Official Records, New York (1997, 1998)
• 3 United Nations Treaties and Principles on
  Outer Space, United Nations Document A/AC.105/572
  (1994)
• 4 European Space Directory 1996, , SEVIG Press,
  Paris (1996)
• 5 European Space Agency 97 Annual Report, ESA
  Publications Division, ESTEC, Noordwijk (1997)
• 6 M.I. Piso, D. Andreescu, M. Nita,
  Postgraduate training for general space science
  and technology education, COSPAR 31st Scientific
  Assembly, published in Adv. Space Res., Elsevier,
  1997)
• 7 Centres for Space Science and Technology
  Education, United Nations Document A/AC.105/534
  (1993)
• 8 M.I. Piso, Network of Space Institutions in
  Central and Eastern Europe, technical
  presentation at the 34th Session of the
  Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the
  UN-COPUOS, United Nations Document A./AC (1997)
• 9 Report of the Scientific and Technical
  Subcommittee of the COPUOS, United Nations
  Document A/AC.105/C.2/L.213 (1997)
• 10 United Nations Document A/AC.105/661 (1996).
• 11 ICSU Yearbook, published by the
  International Council of Scientific Unions, Paris
  (1997)
• 12 National Report to COSPAR, Romanian Space
  Agency, Bucharest (1996).
• 13 Preparations for the Third United Nations
  Conference of the Exploration and Peaceful Uses
  of Outer Space by the Preparatory Committee,
  United Nations Document A/CONF.184/PC/1 (1998)
• 14 Information Systems for Research and
  Applications, United Nations Document
  A/CONF.184/BP/8 (1998)
• 15 Education and Training in Space Science and
  Technology, United Nations Document
  A/CONF.184/BP/10 (1998)

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Education and Training in Space Science and
Technology

• Education - productive investment in human
  resources, resulting in personal growth and
  development, improved social satisfaction, higher
  efficiency and better public services
• Education and training - indispensable components
  of any investment in new technology and in
  expanded public services, and such investments
  are prime catalysts in socio-economic development
• Targets decision makers and planners, managerial
  people, personnel carrying space technology
  tasks, technical support staff, research workers
  who develop interdisciplinary approaches, teachers

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Capacity building in space science, technology
and applications

• The successful transfer of space technology to a
  region or a country requires, as a first
  necessity, the existence in that zone of
  sufficient qualified personnel in science,
  technology and management. The utilization of
  foreign experts is mostly prohibitive due to the
  higher costs - the costs of salaries and local
  expenses being larger than the ones demanded in
  their own countries.
• Most of the universities and other higher
  education institutions generate as output
  professionals in restrained fields. The rate of
  evolution of space science and technology is
  higher compared to traditional academic domains.
  In the same time, occasionally the universities
  denote inadequate compliance to follow with
  efficiency the development of space fields

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Central Eastern and South-Eastern EuropeNetwork
of Space Research and Education

• Arguments
• History
• Goals
• Objectives
• Methods
• Status (January 1998)

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Arguments

• Missing expertise in the non-space countries -
  essential difficulty in the attempt to make use
  of space technology
• To transfer space technology to a region or a
  country - need of sufficient qualified personnel
  in science, technology and management.
• Utilization of foreign experts - mostly
  prohibitive due to costs
• To make use of permanently renewing space
  technologies - need of specialized personnel

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How Did We Get Here?

• United Nations OOSA initiative of
• Regional Space Centers in the frame of the UN
• Program of Space Applications
• The complementarity between
• the UN requirement that the concept of regional
  Centers impose the offer of best possible
  education, research and applications experience
• the specific needs and skills of the Central,
  Eastern and South Eastern European countries
  expressed through the advancement of their
  national space programs in the frame of the late
  80s political and economical major changes in
  the region

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United Nations Initiative

• 1990 - The UN should lead . . . an international
  effort to establish regional centers for space
  science and technology education . .
• 1993 - Regional Centers on Space Science and
  Technology Education (A./AC.105/534)
• 1993 - 1996 - Greece, Romania and other Member
  States offered to host or to serve as a node for
  such a Center covering the region of the Economic
  Commission for Europe
• 1996 - Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary,
  Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, Turkey
  reiterated the agreement to establish a Network
  of space science and technology institutions,
  devoted primarily to capacity building
• 1996 - UN-OOSA Meeting of Experts from the
  countries of the region

10
United Nations Document Report of the Committee
on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space-1997
(A/52/20), Para.58

• . The Committee noted that discussions between
  Bulgaria, Greece, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and
  Turkey were in progress on the establishment of a
  Network of space science and technology research
  and education institutions for States of Central,
  Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and that the
  activities of the network would be in harmony
  with the relevant work of existing institutions
  in Europe and would be open to international
  cooperation. The Committee also noted that a
  meeting of experts had been held at Vienna on 17
  and 18 October 1996 on the establishment of the
  network and that the experts had resumed their
  deliberations on 13 and 14 February 1997. The
  Committee further noted that at the first meeting
  the representatives of Bulgaria, Greece, Poland,
  Romania, Slovakia and Turkey had agreed to
  establish the network.(1) The Committee noted
  that at the resumed meeting the experts had
  agreed to work with the Office for Outer Space
  Affairs to undertake a study on the technical
  requirements, design, operation mechanism and
  funding of the network. The Committee noted as
  well that Italy supported the initiative to
  establish the network of space science and
  technology research and education institutions
• Since 1998, also Hungary joined the initiative

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Goals

• Human resources building to meet the space
  science and technology development for the 21st
  Century
• Access of the Countries of the Region to the
  permanent renewing of the space technologies
• Promote the full integration of the Central
  Eastern and South-Eastern European Countries
  potential in the space endeavor for peaceful uses
  of outer space
• Contribute, by approaching to the requirements of
  the space programs developed by powerful space
  organizations as the European Space Agency, to
  the technological development and welfare of the
  region

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Objectives

• A Network of Space Research and Education
  Institutions in Central Eastern and South Eastern
  European Countries
• Promote, by space specific multi- and
  inter-disciplinary methods, higher level capacity
  building in the region
• Develop future specific regional space education,
  research and applications projects
• Develop joint space scientific and operational
  programs and benefit of them at the regional
  level
• Connect and integrate the Network to significant
  international and national space organizations

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Methods

• Exchange of information on a permanent basis
  between the national core institutions
• Higher education in space-related fields at the
  best international levels, making use of
  international and local expertise
• Masters and Ph.D. in space science and technology
  for multi- and interdisciplinary fields
• Develop common space research and infrastructure
  projects required by the expected level of the
  educational process
• Low cost research and development projects in all
  major fields of space science and technology,
  using the common experience and capabilities of
  the Countries of the Region

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February 1997

• Exchange of information on two key areas
• space activities in each country - main research
  groups, topics and projects
• space-related educational programs in each
  country - main fields of university level
  expertise and training facilities
• The countries have established the national Core
  institution which is more familiar with the
  programs in the areas of space science and
  technology
• UN-OOSA Composite document - the basis for
  further organization and the technical study to
  be prepared for an agreed network
• . . . Experts Meeting at OOSA - February 1997

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Central Eastern and South-Eastern European
Countries Involved in the Project (1997-1998)

• Bulgaria
• Czech Republic (invited)
• Greece
• Hungary
• Poland
• Slovak Republic
• Romania
• Turkey
• . . .

Information synthesized from the Composite
document, some National Space Activities Reports,
ESA and other sources.
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Central Eastern and South-Eastern Europe Network
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National Space Programs Major DirectionsBULGARIA

• Earth Observation
• Space Medicine and Biology
• Space communications
• Material science and microgravity
• Space physics and geophysics
• Revival of aerospace technology
• Participation to a microsatellite project
• Core institution Bulgarian Academy of Sciences -
  Sofia

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National Space Programs Major DirectionsCZECH
REPUBLIC

• Space Physics and Atmospheric Sciences
• Astronomy
• Development of the space onboard instruments
• Development of the MAGION series of small
  satellites
• Space Law
• Participation to the CESAR microsatellite project
• Participation to international space missions
• Czech Republic, however invited, is not still a
  participant to the Network
• (UN A/AC.105/661, December 1996)

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National Space Programs Major DirectionsGREECE

• Geodesy and Geodynamics
• Earth Observation
• Atmospheric sciences
• Satellite communications
• Applications to meteorology, climatology, upper
  atmosphere studies, land cover/land use, forest
  mapping, cadastral mapping, marine research
• Development of infrastructure

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National Space Programs Major DirectionsHUNGARY

• Space-Earth System
• including remote sensing
• Space Physics
• Space Life Sciences
• Satellite Technics and Technologies
• including satellite communications and
  information, materials science
• Participation to international space missions
• Participation to the CESAR microsatellite project
• (Space activities in Hungary 1994-95 -National
  Report)

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National Space Programs Major DirectionsPOLAND

• Space Physics
• Satellite Geodesy
• Remote Sensing
• Space Medicine and Biology
• Space Technology and Astronautics
• Participation to international space missions
• Participation to the CESAR microsatellite project
• Development of the POLSTAR national satellite
  communications system
• Core institution Space Research Center - Warsawa

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National Space Programs Major DirectionsROMANIA

• Space Strategy and Policy
• Basic Space Sciences, Space Physics and
  Astronomy, Microgravity and Life sciences
• Space and Aerospace Techniques, Microgravity
• Space Communications and Information
• Earth Observation
• Project of a small scientific and operational
  satellite
• Participation to international space missions
• Core institution Romanian Space Agency -
  Bucharest

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National Space Programs Major DirectionsSLOVAK
REPUBLIC

• Astronomy
• Space Physics and Geophysics
• Life Sciences in Space
• Remote sensing applications
• GIS, environmental monitoring
• Hydrometeorology
• Danube Remote Sensing DEMO project
• Participation to international space missions
• Core institution Slovak Hydrometeorological
  Institute

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National Space Programs Major DirectionsTURKEY

• Atmospheric and Space Sciences
• Space Electronics
• Training and Education
• Infrastructure facilities in remote sensing,
  satellite communications and radioastronomy
• Participation to international space applications
  programs
• Core institution Marmara Research Center -
  TUBITAK

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Affiliation to Space Organizations and Agreements
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National Space-Related Educational Programs

• Major areas of space-related educational fields
  are represented in most of the Countries in the
  Region, and they are related to the national
  space programs
• Some similarities occur in the countries former
  members of the INTERKOSMOS organization
• Several general fields seem to be relatively more
  developed in some countries, due to specific
  geographical or industrial conditions
• All countries offer doctoral training facilities
  on precise fields
• Some countries offer existent training technical
  and logistic infrastructure
• The emergent suggested general curriculum is a
  reunion of the ones proposed and covers most of
  the space fields

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National Space-Related Educational
ProgramsGeneral curriculum

• Common education module. Space policy and law.
  Information science and systems
• Fundamental science of space and Astronomy
• Space sciences, Earth and atmospheric sciences
• Microgravity and Life sciences
• Satellite communications curriculum
• Meteorological satellite applications curriculum
• Remote sensing and GIS curriculum
• Space instrumentation, aerospace construction,
  spaceflight dynamics and mission design

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Specific international cooperation ofthe
countries in the region

• All countries meet the following
• participants to relevant international treaties
  and agreements related to the peaceful uses of
  outer space
• participants to particular space science and
  applications high-level international programs
• members of COSPAR
• Some countries have long duration experience in
  the INTERKOSMOS organization
• Some countries have signed Agreement of
  cooperation with the European Space Agency
• Some countries have established their own
  national space agencies

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Technical study mission

• 1998 (November) - 1999 (January)
• A technical study mission has been performed by
  OOSA and with the support of Italy to undertake
  study on the technical requirements, design,
  operation mechanism and funding of the network
• The National coordinators and core institutions
  from Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece,
  Turkey and Slovak Republic were visited
• The attempt of the mission is to gather, update
  and synthesize information from the host
  countries, together with the national
  coordinators

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Common Information

• Needed for the establishment of the Network
• national sectors, institutions, rules with a view
  to the national space development plan
• projects of a special interest to each country
• projects than can be co-developed
• projects/activities of interest for the network
  which are unique for each country
• SWOT analysis of programs/activities
• financial support provided by each country for
  the Network, other sources of funding
• technical and professional background of the core
  and associated institutions
• Technical requirements and operation mechanism

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Proposal for next steps

• Output of the Technical Study
• The Network Agreement
• Advisory Board
• Network Information System
• Common Projects within the Network

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Network Agreement

• Conclusion of an Agreement for the Establishment
  of a Network of Space Science and Technology
  Research and Education Institutions in
  Central-Eastern and South-Eastern Europe
• endorsed by all the participant countries and
  OOSA
• agreement open to all interested countries
• to establish at least
• the administrative structure of the Network
• the operation of the electronic information
  network
• the forms of cooperation, as
• exchange of information
• exchange of students/scientists
• seminars and workshops
• the necessary relations with major space
  organizations

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romanian space agency

• Established in 1991, by the Government Decision
  no. 923/ 20 Nov 1995, ROSA is an independent
  public institution
• The objectives of the Agency are
• to coordinate the national space research and
  applications programs
• to promote space development
• to be the Government representative in the
  international space cooperation
• ROSA is authorized to establish research and
  development centres oriented on specific
  objectives of the Romanian Space Programme

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ROSA Organization

Staff 12 scientists, 6 administrative
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Recommendation

• In the case of countries with emerging space
  potential, it was important for them to develop
  their own independent research programmes
  together with current cooperative efforts in
  international projects and missions. In this
  view, that would enable those countries to
  determine the optimal means and pace of advancing
  so as to reach international levels of research
  and technology while making optimal use of their
  indigenous human and infrastructural capacities.
• (Report of the COPUOS - ST 1997)

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Romanian National Space Programme1998
Space policy and infrastructure Microsatellite,
Regional Network, Space policy Space
Science Basic space science, Microgravity and
Life sciences Space Applications Communications,
Earth Observation, Information systems Aerospace
technology and spinoff Aerospace sciences,
Onboard technology, Spin-offs
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ROSA RESEARCH CENTRE

• ROSA Projects
• Microsatellite mission
• National Centre for the Regional Network
• Magnetic fluids in microgravity
• ROSA Information System
• ROSA Contracts
• National Space Program Budget
• Others - Consulting and management

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ROSA INFRASTRUCTURE

• ROSA Headquarters in the centre of Bucharest
• Offices
• Computers network and office utilities
• 64 K Internet permanent connection
• http//www.rosa.ro
• ROSA Research Centre
• Shared building and some facilities with INCAS,
  the Institute of Space Science and CRUTA
• Laboratories
• Amphiteatre and offices
• Computers network and 64 k Internet permanent
  connection
• Library
• Receiving station for NOAAH satellites

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INCAS

• National Institute on Aerospace Researches Elie
  Carafoli - Bucharest
• Established in 1948 as the Institute of Fluid
  Mechanics of the Romanian Academy, main RD
  institute devoted to aerospace research and
  design
• Designer of several combat and civilian aircraft
  and other different aerospace projects
• Organized (1996) as an institute of national
  interest, INCAS is the proposed the host
  institution ensuring the logistic infrastructure
  of the Node of the Network
• Aerodynamic testing facilities (trisonic wind
  tunnel, Ludwieg tube) unique in the Region
• Vibrations, shock, thermal and hydraulic test
  systems
• Information centre and Library (50,000 issues)
• Host institution for the infrastructure of the
  Network

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Common projects within the Network

• Common research and development projects should
  present some the following features
• medium and long term - the average duration
  needed to complete a Ph.D.... thesis
• multi- and interdisciplinarity - to prepare space
  experts and to give the possibility to
  accommodate groups of several students having
  different base academic qualifications
• producers of large amounts of data - to optimize
  the utilization of standard existing information
  technology
• contents in both theoretical and experimental
  components
• low-cost and presumptive sources of space
  spin-offs

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Project ProposalSatellite Communication and
Information Network

• Objective
• To install a satellite communication antenna
  (VSAT) at the locations of the National Core
  institutions of the Network
• Purpose
• By means of effective communication, to improve
  the exchange of information in the Network, with
  a view to a common database of space related
  information
• Costs (per node)
• 10.000-14.000 - infrastructure
• 9.000-15.000 / yr - a 256384 k permanent
  satellite link
• Spin-off
• Internet services provider for others,
  teleconference, telemedicine

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Satellite Communication and Information Network
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Project ProposalSatellite Communication and
Information Network

• Results
• distant learning and education
• online exchange of data for meteorology, hazard
  monitoring, geographic information systems,
  scientific data, astronomy, geodynamics,
  environment
• a reliable support for an extended regional
  database on space information
• centres of excellence to facilitate the
  integration in the European and global
  information systems
• Possibilities of financial support
• National space programmes, ESA, EC DG XII and DG
  XIII in the Fifth Framework Programme

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Key issues in regional and globalinformation
systems and exchange

• clear definition of user needs and requirements
• appropriate access to data and services
• inventory of all available data and information
  pertaining to the environment
• continuity of data and services
• development of standard meta-data formats for
  information exchange
• identification of in-situ data available
• availability of capabilities in developing
  countries to establish information systems
• necessity to build required datasets in a
  systematic and integrated manner,
• adequate access to telecommunications and
  computer networks ensuring the ability to each
  remote data centres and information systems
• integration of national information systems into
  National Information Infrastructures (NII), and
  then, eventually, into the Global Information
  Infrastructure (GII)
• appropriate education, training and know-how
  transfer
• irnpact of protection of intellectual property
  rights, security measures and restricted access
  to databases on international information
  exchange
• frameworks for regional and international
  cooperation.

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Project proposal Microsatellite

• Development of a small satellite with remote
  sensing, informational and educational
  capabilities
• Main purpose - promotion of space science,
  technology and applications with spin-offs to
  regional development and capacity building
• Applications
• hazard and environmental monitoring
• medium resolution Earth Observation

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Benefits

• Developing of
• data processing facilities
• mission control centers
• educational space communication facilities
• education masters and Ph.D. Thesis in
  space-related fields
• formation of new research and development groups
  devoted to a longer term project, the
  sustainability conferred by a regional
  cooperation being more significant that the one
  offered by each country in the region
• Commercial type benefits

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Conclusions

• The project of the Network of Space Science and
  Technology Capacity Building Institutions in
  Central Eastern and South Eastern is under
  progress, a significant advance being performed
  since its establishment in 1996
• The Network should develop both academic and
  research/development activities to ensure the
  production of professionals in renewing multi-
  and interdisciplinary space related fields with
  applications to regional development and capacity
  building
• The activity of the Network could rely in the
  first phase on
• information exchange
• a common regional space project - e.g.
  microsatellite for hazard monitoring in the
  region
• The technical study on the establishment and
  functioning of the Network is in progress, with
  the hope to be ended until the UNISPACE III
  Conference in July.