The chronicle interview.

AMBASSADOR DUMITRU-DORIN PRUNARIU is President of the Romanian Space Agency and Chairman of the Scientific and Technical Sub-Committee of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). In 1981, he became the first Romanian in space when he flew aboard spacecraft "Soyuz 40" and space laboratory "Saliut 6". Born in Brasov, Mr. Prunariu graduated in 1976 from the Polytechnic University in Bucharest, with a degree in aerospace engineering. After a three-year Intercosmos space flight training programme for cosmonauts in Star City, Russia, he spent over a week in 1981 in outer space aboard Saliut 6, completing scientific experiments in astrophysics, radiation, space technologies, medicine and biology. Since 1995, he has been Vice-President of the EURISC (European Institute for Risk Management, Security and Communication) Foundation.

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Ambassador Prunariu spoke with Horst Rutsch and Belal Hassan of the UN Chronicle on 18 October 2004.

On the main thrust of COPUOS in 2004

The third United Nations Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III) was organized in Vienna in 1999. The Vienna Declaration, a very important document issued by the Conference, includes new approaches to space activities for human development. In 2004, at the request of the UN General Assembly, we made a full report of the activities during the past years, in accordance with the Vienna Declaration, for presentation on 20 October 2004. The report represents the hard work done in the framework of COPUOS and its subsidiary bodies, and summarizes the activities during the last five years of the Committee and the bodies established to implement the recommendations of UNISPACE III, meaning action teams, working groups and so on.

On space technology and the environment

The UNISPACE III agenda is focused mainly on issues such as eradication of extreme poverty, hunger, education, health and protection of the environment. COPUOS members are organized in action teams and working groups, and they take part in establishing a global agenda that includes important issues for their country's development and how space can contribute to this development, as well as their own approach to different problems. For instance, one of the main action teams, with more than forty members, is concerned with the relief of consequences of natural hazards or disasters. Member States bring their expertise and their contribution not only in funding but also in organizing activities, which include finding international support to implement the recommendations reached under the Committee's framework. Another important team is involved in promoting education on the true meaning of outer space, using specific space technologies in far-reaching regions; one main programme, for instance, has been developed by India.

On peaceful uses of outer space for development

The United Nations has not only COPUOS but also other specialized bodies; for instance, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations uses space technology and space information for improving agriculture in several countries. In Romania, a programme is being developed for determining exactly the type of land and its possible use for different commercial activities. With the help of space imaging, we can assist in discovering water, optimizing the use of the earth's facilities and also determining its evolution in different regions in Africa. Facilitating access of developing countries to space technology, for instance, can be mainly through remote-sensing information, because this is the main means to have the necessary information to solve the problems in those countries. Also, by reaching mutual understanding between national and international organizations in case of natural disasters, for instance, countries are able to access free information.

On the "spin-off benefits" of space technology

Every country publishes annually information on the "spin-off benefits" of space technology; for instance, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) issues a book on the implementation of space technology in the economy and in private life, and a lot of inventions and discoveries made using space technologies for exploration and for the general public.

On the use of nuclear power

Many countries, such as the Russian Federation and the United States, use nuclear power sources to produce electricity on board interplanetary and circumterrestrial satellites, which need high energy for a long time; just using solar energy is not sufficient. In this respect, these technologies should be standardized, made safe and their effects known. In the case of satellites that fall down to earth, the consequences should be kept at a minimum for the country or place where they fall. Therefore, not only the technical but also the legal problems with using nuclear power sources on board satellites should be approached. A mutual understanding has already been reached among Member States that do this, and improvements are now under discussion.

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On the problem of space debris 

Space debris consists of the inactive parts of satellites that still exist in orbit around the earth. Many old technologies used rockets that left for outer space with some fuel on board and then exploded after months of uncontrolled flying. Because the fuel had spread in space, small debris become dangerous for future launches. Also, a lot of satellites just die after several years in space and most of them are uncontrolled. It was determined that many more thousands of such objects orbiting around the earth could hit and damage active satellites and spacecrafts. The systematic learning of this problem has led to many United Nations conferences and symposiums which resulted in the promotion of new technologies. It is quite impossible to gather space debris, but the main goal is to limit their development.

On the use of space technology for medicine

Tele-medicine is a new approach. The problems of medicine in many countries that have no real infrastructure are urgent, especially in using space technology and space communications to organize consultations among different groups of people or to exchange information between medical institutions in different countries that have very specific medical expertise.

On representing Romania in outer space

I have worked for a very long time on Romanian space activities. As President of the Romanian Space Agency during the last six years. I favoured international cooperation. Space exploration without international cooperation and collaboration does not mean anything. One nation cannot develop global programmes alone, be it the United States, the Russian Federation. China or Japan, or the European Space Agency. Space should always be used for global benefits. The influence of some activities in one part of the world affects other parts, sometimes negatively. If there is no cooperation to protect the earth as a common home for all, then we will all be in danger. Therefore, it was not difficult for us to move from a national to an international approach to space activities. I found very good understanding and cooperation in the framework of COPUOS, which together with Romania developed some international programmes, mainly European. I was very familiar with the work of such a Committee.

On being a cosmonaut 

I flew into space in 1981 as a representative of Romania in an international programme named Inter-Cosmos. I took part in many national and international experiments done by my country in cooperation with others. Saliut 6, now an international space laboratory, flew around the earth for several months. The spacecraft Soyuz-40 took us to join the space laboratory, where we worked for one week and then returned to earth in our spacecraft. The space laboratory, flying around the earth, accomplished its activity, with other spacecrafts and shuttles joining in. With my international training and the global collaboration for accomplishing the space programme, I reached a high level of understanding of what "outer space" means, what "international cooperation" means, and what collaboration with nations in reaching and using technology, not only for their own benefit but also for the benefit of mankind, means.

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On the grandeur of being in space

If I remember exactly, there have been only 435 men and women who have been in outer space since 1961. It's not easy to reach such heights and live in an environment so inconducive to human beings. Space is uninhabitable, but in the future, by using technologies, an environment can be developed to permit people to live there for more than one year or even several years. From a psychological point of view, it is very important to know that you can reach outer space, other celestial bodies, or places where people don't even think of going. In this environment, as a human being you have a feeling of superiority, of power--the power to go up there, fly around the earth at a speed of more than 28,000 kilometres per hour, develop experiments and learn about the earth, our mother planet. At the same time, you find out that a spacecraft is very small and vulnerable, and that at any time space debris or a meteorite could hit and make you disappear in outer space, and that no one would ever know exactly what happened. These are confusing feelings, but at the same time, when you come back, all these complex emotions give you a new, enriched perspective of life on earth.

On the pleasures of sclence fiction

Oh yes, sometimes I watch sci-fi movies. Let's analyze the science fiction novels of Jules Verne from the nineteenth century and see how he visualized the reach of outer space in his time. Most of the concepts that he talked about in his novels are already being applied, with the exception of launching a spacecraft with a cannon! Of course, now we are using rockets in multiple stages. The calculations made by Jules Verne then are very valid today. For instance, in Star Trek or these other fantastic new movies that show how space exploration would be approached in the next century, most of the things shown could be available in the next decades. Science is developing fast, especially since there is money and interest to develop these advanced technologies. I'm sure that twenty or thirty years from now we'll be able to see some of the fantastic approaches shown in the Star Trek movies become a reality in space flights. Of course not everything, but most of the technologies they use could be available for humanity in the coming decades.