Agreement reached on guidelines for nuclear power sources.

Agreement reached on guidelines for nuclear power sources

During its 1990 session (4-14 June, New York), the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space welcomed the consensus of the Legal Sub-Committee on guidelines and criteria for the safe use of nuclear power sources. It also urged broader participation in the International Space Year and co-operation in remote sensing.

In its report (A/45/20), the Committee noted that is Legal Sub-Committee's Working Group on the Use of Nuclear Power Sources had reached consensus on guidelines and criteria for the safe use of nuclear power. Its draft principle called for the following measures: respect for accepted international guidelines for radiological protection; employment of sufficiently high orbits; and using only highly enriched uranium in reactors.

Vaclav Milulka of Czechoslovakia, Chairman of the Sub-Committee, at its twenty-ninth session (2-20 April, Geneva), called the consensus a "major achievement".

The 53-member UN Outer space Committee also dealth with the following:

* The 1992 International Space Year (ISY). The Committee agreed that the ISY would provide an opportunity to strengthen and expand international co-operation in the peaceful uses of outer spece and urged all countries to participate in ISY activities.

* Remote sensing. All countries were asked to continue their practice of free distribution of meteoroglogical information. The Committee noted the importance of co-operation in remote sensing activities, carried out through regular meetings of satellite and ground station operators, as well as the users. The Scientific and Technical Sub-Committee said that remote sensing from outer space should be carried out to meet the needs of developing countries.

* Spin-off benefits. The committee agreed that the spin-off benefit of outer space technologies were considerable and asked for a report on that issue. Benefits include: in medicine: new techniques for diagnosis and treatment, including an electronic "temperature pill", a portable X-ray device and surgical instruments; in the safety field: anti-glare filters, heat-resistant materials and protective systems for fire-fighters: in manufacturing: dry lubricants, high-performance machines, protective coatings, optical instruments and electronics.

* Space debris. National research on space debris should continue, the Committee stated. It also reiterated the General Assembly's recommendation that more attention should be paid to questions of outer space environment and space debris.

Committee Chairman Peter Jankowitsch of Austria said that space debris constituted an unacceptable risk to man and materials in space and on the ground. He added that future proliferation of debris could be minimized by taking preventative measures at the planning stage.

The Committee recommended that its thirty-fourth session by convened at Graz, Austria, from 27 May to 7 June 1991. The 1991 theme for the Scientific and Technical Sub-Committee would be: "Applications of airborne and satellite remote sensing for prospecting mineral and ground-water resources and for monitoring and managing biological resources, with emphasis on agriculture, taking into particular account the needs of developing countries."