A political issue, a practical matter.A political issue, A practical matter Peaceful uses of outer space: The peaceful uses of outer space, a subject before the General Assembly since 1958, extend in many directions: from the mapping of lakes and streams from satellites spinning in orbit thousands of miles above the earth, to exploring planets in the solar system solar system, the sun and the surrounding planets, natural satellites, dwarf planets, asteroids, meteoroids, and comets that are bound by its gravity. The sun is by far the most massive part of the solar system, containing almost 99.9% of the system's total mass. , to developing the use of nuclear power to drive space satellites, to examining ways to prevent an arms race in space. The Assembly's Special Political Committee reviewed reports on the work accomplished in 1987 by the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and its two subsidiary bodies, one dealing with scientific and technological matters, the other with legal issues relating to relating to relate prep → concernant relating to relate prep → bezüglich +gen, mit Bezug auf +acc outer space. Special Political Committee Chairman Hamad Abdelaziz Al-Kawari of Qatar drew attention to the successful completion of five international treaties in the area of outer space and principles relating to remote sensing Deriving digital models of an area on the earth. Using special cameras from airplanes or satellites, either the sun's reflections or the earth's temperature is turned into digital maps of the area. of the earth from outer space. Work continued on other international instruments related to the peaceful uses of outer related to the peaceful uses of outer space. The UN was particularly concerned that the benefits of outer space activities be extended to all Member States by implementing the recommendations of UNISPACE UNISPACE United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space 82, the international conference on peaceful uses of outer space held in Vienna in 1982. Two space-related anniversaries were observed -- the thirtieth of the launching by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 of "Sputnik Sputnik: see satellite, artificial; space exploration. Sputnik Any of a series of Earth-orbiting spacecraft whose launching by the Soviet Union inaugurated the space age. " -- the first man-made object propelled into space -- and the twentieth of the 1967 Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies. Assembly action in this area dealt with both political and practical aspects of the subject. States, in particular those with major space capabilities, were urged to contribute actively to the goal of preventing an arms race in outer space as an essential condition for the promotion of international co-operation in the exploration and uses of outer space for peaceful purposes. The Outer Space Committee was to give priority to considering ways to maintain space for peaceful purposes. purposes. The Assembly also asked that work continue on a variety of subjects, including elaboration of draft principles relevant to the use of nuclear power sources in outer space, defining and delimiting outer space, and exploring the character and use of the geostationary orbit geostationary orbit A circular orbit positioned approximately 35,900 km (22,258 mi) above Earth's equator and having a period of the same duration and direction as the rotation of the Earth. . The Assembly asked that a review of UNISPACE 82 recommendations continue in 1988 with the goal of improving the quality and execution of international co-operation in space activities, particularly those within the United Nations Programme on Space Applications. Some of those concern: expanding the use of techniques resulting from medical studies in space; strengthening data banks at the national and regional levels; creation of an international space information service; establishing adequate space training centres at the regional level; and organizing a fellowship programme for candidates from developing countries to receive "in-depth, long-term exposure" to space technology or applications. Other areas of concern to the UN are: remote sensing of the Earth by satellites, space transportation systems, planetary exploration, astronomy, the geosphere-biosphere (global change) programme, the geostationary orbit and life sciences, including space medicine, and microgravity mi·cro·grav·i·ty n. 1. An environment in which there is very little net gravitational force, as of a free-falling object, an orbit, or interstellar space. 2. experiments in space. The Assembly also affirmed that the interference new satellite systems might cause to systems already registered with the International Telecommunication Union International Telecommunication Union (ITU), specialized agency of the United Nations, with headquarters at Geneva. It was created in 1934 as a result of the merging of the International Telegraph Union (est. (ITU (International Telecommunication Union, Geneva, Switzerland, www.itu.ch) A telecommunications standards body that is under the auspices of the United Nations. Comprising more than 185 member countries, the ITU sets standards for global telecom networks. ) should not exceed the limits specified in relevant provisions of the ITU Radio Regulations applicable to space services. The Secretary-General also reported (A/42/518) on short-term training courses on remote-sensing applications -- dealing with applications to marine fisheries, to agrometeorology and hydrology hydrology, study of water and its properties, including its distribution and movement in and through the land areas of the earth. The hydrologic cycle consists of the passage of water from the oceans into the atmosphere by evaporation and transpiration (or , and to geological sciences -- and the award of 18 long-range fellowships in 1986 for training in areas of telecommunications, satellite meteorology meteorology, branch of science that deals with the atmosphere of a planet, particularly that of the earth, the most important application of which is the analysis and prediction of weather. and remote sensing. Seminars were held on space communications and space technology applications within the framework of educational systems. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion