Space – the next 50 years
Leading space scientists, visionaries, and entrepreneurs from around the world met at Boston University last week to discuss the future of space exploration.
Gathered on the 50th anniversary of the space age, following the launch of Sputnik in 1957, and the 40th anniversary of the Outer Space Treaty, participants of The Future of Space Exploration: Solutions to Earthly Problems? recommended visions for the next 50 years of space activities.
Commenting on the importance of the conference Professor Keith Mason, CEO of the Science and Technology Facilities Council and Chairman of the UK Space Board [ British National Space Centre’s governing body] and conference speaker said,” During the past 50 years space-based assets have become an integral part of our daily lives for communications, navigation and weather forecasting etc. The opportunities for the next 50 years are even greater, for developed and developing nations alike, and it is important to think about a framework that will maximise the benefits of space for all the inhabitants of the Earth”.
Hosted by the Boston University Center for Space Physics the three-day conference featured discussions led by noted researchers, including Dr. John C. Mather, 2006 Nobel Prize Winner in physics andChief Scientist, NASA Science Mission Directorate , and a keynote address by Lord Rees of Ludlow, Astronomer Royal and President of the Royal Society.
Opening remarks were made by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam of India who stated that, “the best thing space can do is enhance the quality of life of those on Earth,” and that in the long-term, humanity has to “build the way for an alternative habitat in our galaxy". See the
President of India (link opens in a new window)| website.
Conference participants worked together to imagine the next half-century of space exploration and identified five key areas that require attention if humans are to thrive in space over the next 50 years:
1. Space Governance. In anticipation of emerging space activities, a system of laws, regulations and agreements are needed in space. Particular areas that need addressing include: (1) prohibiting space weapons; (2) managing traffic of space vehicles to avoid collisions and ensure uninterrupted satellite services; (3) managing the global environment and security; and (4) enabling and encouraging private and national space utilization.
2. Public participation. To ensure the long-term sustainability of human endeavors in space, the public can be, and should be, directly integrated with space missions. We would like more communication of the benefits of space exploration to society, emphasizing that survival is the foremost incentive – both in terms of space providing knowledge of our environment and natural disasters, and through the potential of self-sustaining settlements off our home planet.
3. Resources and Energy. Material resources, energy sources and other sources of economic value in space need to be developed. These assets have the potential to improve the quality of life on Earth, and will require the development of new space technologies and infrastructure.
4. Biotechnology. The coming biotechnology revolution that will change the health and survival capabilities of the human race should be fully exploited. Developments in biotech may allow humans to live in space without harmful effects of space radiation or bone degradation. This will have profound effects on the limits of human experience and our presence in the solar system.
5. Strategy. We believe that a 50-year global vision should be developed that can provide guidance for the future of human endeavors in space. Concurrently, a 10-year horizon rolling plan, considering the needs of all peoples, is necessary to ensure sustainable progress towards the longer-term goals. We urge development of suitable mechanisms for this that could involve the world’s space agencies.
“Spectacular advances in astronomy, and solar and geophysics have been made due to the access to space,” said Supriya Chakrabarti, conference chairman and Director of the Boston University Center for Space Physics. “It is our hope that with these recommendations we can continue to build upon the achievements and discoveries already made in space.”
“Since 1957, the world has witnessed many feats: the first artificial satellites, the first visits to space, footsteps on the Moon, a permanent International Space Station, and now the emergence of the private space industry. Spectacular advances in astronomy, and solar and geophysics have been made due to the access to space,” said Chris Boshuizen, executive director of the Space Generation Advisory Council. “With this heritage, which was based upon a robust body of research, humankind can look to the future with confidence.”
Contributors and signatories to the declaration:
Gen. James A. Abrahamson, former director, US Strategic Defense Initiative Organization
Prof. Thomas Bania, Professor of Astronomy, Boston University
Dr. Stas Barabash, Professor,Swedish Institute of Space Physics
Prof. Roger Bonnet, President of COSPAR (the Committee of Space Research) and former Director of Science, European Space Agency (ESA)
Dr.
Chris Boshuizen
, Executive Director, Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC)
Prof. Supriya Chakrabarti, Conference Chairman, Professor of Astronomy and Electrical and Computer Engineering, Director of the Center for Space Physics, Boston University
Dr. Frank Cheng, Director of thePlasma and Space Science Center, National Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan
Prof. John Clarke, Professor of Astronomy, Boston University
Dr. Steven Dick, NASA Historian, NASA
Prof. Freeman Dyson, Institute for Advanced Studies, Princeton University
Prof. Farouk El-Baz, Director of the Center for Remote Sensing, Boston University
Dr. Jean-Jaques Favier, Director of Strategy, Centre National pour l’Etude Spatial (CNES), former shuttle Astronaut
Dr. David Fromkin, Director, Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future; Professor of International Relations, History, and Law, Boston University
Ambassador Thomas Graham, Chairman of Cypress Fund for Peace and Security & former Arms Control Ambassador for the United States
Prof. Jeffrey Hoffman, Center for Space Studies, MIT; former NASA astronaut
Dr. Sergei Khrushchev, Senior Fellow, Thomas J. Watson Jr. Institute for International Studies, Brown University; Son of former Chairman of the USSR, Nikita Khrushchev
Mr. Eric Knight, Chief Executive Officer, Up Aerospace, Inc.
Dr. Matthew Koss, Department of Physics, Holy Cross College
Dr. Mark Lupisella, NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center and The Secure World Foundation
Dr. William Marshall, Chairman, Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), NASA/Ames Research Center
Dr. Carlos Martinis, Research Associate, Department of Astronomy and Center for Space Physics, Boston University
Prof. Keith Mason, CEO, UK Science and Technology Facilities Council
Dr. John Mather, Chief Scientist, NASA Science Mission Directorate and 2006 Nobel Laureate in Physics
Ms. Majd Matta, Graduate Student, Boston University
Dr. D. Pallamraju, Research Associate, Department of Astronomy and Center for Space Physics, Boston University
Ms. Angela Peura, Graduate Student, Space Policy Institute, George Washington University
Dr. Shanti Rao, Engineer, NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Prof. Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal, President of the Royal Society and Master of Trinity College, Cambridge University
Dr. Virendra Sarohia, Assistant to the Chief Technologist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Dr. Russell “Rusty” Schweickart, Apollo Astronaut & Chairman of the Association of Space Explorers
Mr. Shi Sheng, Undergraduate Student,Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Mr. Valeriy Spitovsky, Boston Museum of Science
Dr. William Stoeger, Vatican Observatory
Dr. Ighor Uzhinsky, Senior Technical Project Manager, ATK Launch Systems, Science and Engineering Programs
Mr. Sesh Velamoor, Deputy Director of Programs at Foundation for the Future
Contributors to the symposium:
Ms. Julia Barsky, Program Coordinator, Center for Space Physics, Boston University
Ms. Erin Daly, Graduate Student, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of North Texas
Dr. Virender Kumar, Counsellor for space, Embassy of the Republic of India
Ms. Susan Eisenhower, President of the Eisenhower Institute, granddaughter of US President Eisenhower
Ms. Tiffany D. Frierson, Undergraduate Student, University of Memphis, Tennessee
Dr. David Fromkin, Director, Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future; Professor of International Relations, History, and Law, Boston University
Dr. Charles Harper, Sr., Templeton Foundation
His Excellency, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, President of India Prof. John Logsdon, Director, Space Policy Institute, George Washington University and NASA Advisory Committee
Prof. Roald Sagdeev, Distinguished Professor of Physics, University of Maryland, former Director of the USSR Space Research Institute
Dr. Harrison Schmitt, NASA Astronaut (former)
Ms. Sonya Sherman, Assistant Director, Center for Space Physics, Boston University
Mr. Yevgeny Zvedre, Senior Counselor (Science and Technology), Embassy of the Russian Federation
Contacts
Peter Barratt
Head of Media Relations
Science and Technology Facilities Council
Tel: +44 [0] 1793 442025
Mobile: 07879 602899
Email: peter.barratt@stfc.ac.uk|
Kira Edler
Office of Media Relations
Boston University
Tel: 00.1. 617-358-1240
Email: kedler@bu.edu|
Will Marshall
NASA Ames Research Centre
Tel: 00.1. 805-403-2096
Email: william.s.marshall@nasa.gov|
Background Notes
Science and Technology Facilities Council
• The Science and Technology Facilities Council ensures the UK retains its leading place on the world stage by delivering world-class science; accessing and hosting international facilities; developing innovative technologies; and increasing the socio-economic impact of its research through effective knowledge-exchange partnerships.
• The Council has a broad science portfolio including Astronomy, Particle Physics, Particle Astrophysics, Nuclear Physics, Space Science, Synchrotron Radiation, Neutron Sources and High Power Lasers. In addition the Council will manage and operate three internationally renowned laboratories:
• The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire
• The Daresbury Laboratory, Cheshire
• The UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Edinburgh
• The Council gives researchers access to world-class facilities and funds the UK membership of international bodies such as the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), the Institute Laue Langevin (ILL), European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the European organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) and the European Space Agency (ESA). It also contributes money for the UK telescopes overseas on La Palma, Hawaii, Australia and in Chile, and the MERLIN/VLBI National Facility, which includes the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council is a partner in the British National Space Centre [BNSC] which coordinates the UK’s civil space activities.
Boston
University
Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 30,000 students, it is the fourth largest independent university in the United States. BU contains 17 colleges and schools along with a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes which are central to the school’s research and teaching mission.
Summary
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News Summary:
Leading space scientists, visionaries, and entrepreneurs from around the world met at Boston University last week to discuss the future of space exploration. Gathered on the 50th anniversary of the space age, following the launch of Sputnik in 1957, and the 40th anniversary of the Outer Space Treaty, participants of The Future of Space Exploration: Solutions to Earthly Problems? recommended visions for the next 50 years of space activities.
Page last updated: 23 April 2007
by Zahra Mogul
