OGC/GITA Emerging Technology Summit V: Spatial Law and Policy Issues
September 10, 2009 at 2:51 pm | Posted in Remote Sensing Law Current Events | Leave a commentby P.J. Blount with the blog faculty
OGC/GITA will host a conference titled Emerging Technology Summit V: Spatial Law and Policy Issues on October 7, 2009 at the Weston Hotel in Washington, D.C. The conference overview states:
Conference Overview
The growing use of Earth browsers, satellite navigation devices in cars and PDA’s, location-based services associated with cell phones, business intelligence, social networking and satellite tracking of vehicles and equipment raises a number of issues concerning privacy, intellectual property rights, liability, and national security. In many cases, the existing legal and policy framework is inadequate to provide governments, businesses and consumers clear guidance on these issues.
Speakers and panelists will include:
* Gordon Chinander, GIS Coordinator for the Metropolitan Emergency Services Board, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.
* Hugh N. Archer, former Director Kentucky Department of Natural Resources
* Steve Wallach, NGA and member of the U.S. National Geospatial Advisory Council
* Kara John, Vice President – Intellectual Property & Privacy at DMTI Spatial Inc.
* Jim Simon, Founding Director of the Microsoft Institute for Advanced Technology in Governments
* John Moeller, former Staff Director at the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)
* Others, to be announced
GeoEye Signs NextView Service Level Agreement Extension With the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
September 10, 2009 at 2:47 pm | Posted in Space Law | Leave a commentby P.J. Blount with the blog faculty
From GeoEye:
GeoEye Signs NextView Service Level Agreement Extension With the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
Contract Extended Through First Quarter 2010 is Valued at $50 MillionPRNewswire
DULLES, Va.
(NASDAQ-NMS:GEOY)DULLES, Va., Sept. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — GeoEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEOY), a premier provider of satellite, aerial and geospatial information and services, announced that it has signed a contract to extend its Service Level Agreement with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) through March 31, 2010. The contract extension gives the NGA continued access to high-quality color imagery from the GeoEye-1 and IKONOS Earth-imaging satellites. GeoEye was awarded a contract with a maximum value of $50 million for the four-month extension period under essentially the same business terms as the prior agreement.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080625/LAW528LOGO)
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency has the option to extend the contract for an additional nine months on the same business terms, from April 1, 2010 to Dec. 31, 2010. The Company signed its initial Service Level Agreement in December 2008, and it was scheduled to expire Nov. 30, 2009.
Matt O’Connell, GeoEye’s Chief Executive Officer and President, said, “This contract extension is a testament to our superb relationship with the NGA and solid evidence that the color imagery we are providing to them meets all their standards for timeliness, quality, resolution, and accuracy.”
Erol Morey, GeoEye’s NGA Program Director, said, “We’ve made some improvements in the contract that are beneficial to both GeoEye and the NGA. We’re delivering millions of square kilometers of imagery to the NGA each month in support of their mission to provide timely, relevant, and accurate geospatial intelligence for national security.”
GMES a Priority for Swedish Council Presidency
September 10, 2009 at 2:40 pm | Posted in Space Law | Leave a commentby P.J. Blount with the blog faculty
Sweden has included GMES in its list of priorities for its Council Presidency:
Swedish government ministers this week outlined their Council Presidency priorities to a range of parliamentary committees – and fielded MEPs’ questions on most EU policy areas.
. . . Industry, research and energy
“We can address both the economic crisis and the climate challenge at the same time” by working for a shift towards “a European eco-efficient economy”, Sweden’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Industry Maud Olofsson Parliament’s Industry Committee on Wednesday. Ms Olofsson said she hoped an agreement with Parliament on the energy efficiency package (energy performance of buildings directive, the energy labelling directive and the tyre labelling regulation) would be reached this autumn, so as “to send a clear message to the international climate negotiations” in December in Copenhagen.
“The Swedish Presidency will do its utmost to prevent further disruption of gas supplies to Europe”, Ms Olofsson added. To enable the EU to deal with any supply disruption in the future, the Presidency would start working on the Commission’s proposal for a security of natural gas supply regulation, she said. Moreover, the Swedish Presidency will also try to reach a first reading agreement with MEPs on the European Earth observation programme GMES, stressed Ms Olofsson. . . .
U.S. and Canada Sign Agreement on Civil Space Cooperation
September 10, 2009 at 2:28 pm | Posted in Space Law | Leave a commentby P.J. Blount with the blog faculty
From NASA:
RELEASE : 09-206
U.S. and Canada Sign Agreement on Civil Space Cooperation
WASHINGTON — NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Canadian Space Agency President Steve MacLean signed a framework agreement Wednesday for cooperative activities in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes. Canadian Ambassador to the United States Michael Wilson hosted the signing at the Canadian Embassy in Washington.
“NASA is very proud of its long and outstanding relationship with Canada, one that has been nurtured during the past four decades with increasing collaboration in a wide range of space science and exploration activities,” NASA’s Bolden said. “As NASA continues to enhance the scientific observation of our planet and the solar system, we are looking to Canada and our other international partners to play key roles in our future exploration plans.”
Commenting on the significance of the signing, MacLean said, “The United States has been a critical partner for Canada ever since the launch of the Alouette-1 satellite in 1962. From these early beginnings, we have worked together to forge a space alliance that has become a catalyst, driving generations of space expertise, innovation, science, and technological excellence through our participation in space projects that continue to serve the interests of both our nations.”
The framework agreement is an important step in an evolving process toward a coordinated and comprehensive approach to exploration and use of outer space. It sets forth general terms and conditions that will be applied to future cooperative projects and facilitates expanded cooperation between the U.S. and Canada on a range of activities related to human spaceflight, exploration, space science and Earth science.
Congressional Hearings on Human Space Exploration Review
September 10, 2009 at 2:24 pm | Posted in Space Law | Leave a commentby P.J. Blount with the blog faculty
Both the House and the Senate have scheduled hearings on the Report of the “Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans” Committee:
Amnesty International Uses EO Imagery to Show Evidence of Forced Evistions in Chad
September 9, 2009 at 12:31 pm | Posted in Remote Sensing Law | Leave a commentby P.J. Blount with the blog faculty
A new report from Amnesty International uses comparative remotely sensed imagery to show evidence of forced evictions in Chad. Broken Homes, Broken Lives: End Forced Evictions in Chad states that:
Amnesty International has used satellite imagery to illustrate the scale of destruction in some residential neighbourhoods in N’Djamena.
Using commercially available satellite imagery, Amnesty International documented housing demolitions in N’Djamena, Chad, at three points in time: 7 January 2008, 8 November 2008 and 27 January 2009. The images covered eight districts and an area adjacent to N’Djamena international airport. They show the damage caused by the forced evictions. In all, more than 3,700 structures were destroyed in about 385 days. The satellite images supplemented the information gathered in research missions by Amnesty International delegates who visited N’Djamena in May 2008 and May 2009.
The evidence obtained by using satellite imagery and geospatial methodologies paints a distressing picture of the pace of housing demolition in N’Djamena. While the images alone cannot tell us which demolitions were legal and which violated both Chadian and international law, the sheer scale indicates a frightening level of human suffering.
Behind the Curtain: Insight Into the Aviation Practice from Go-Team to Trial
September 9, 2009 at 9:13 am | Posted in Aviation Law Current Event | Leave a commentby P.J. Blount with the blog faculty
The American Bar Associations Tort, Trial, and Insurance Practice Section’s Aviation and Space Law Committee has announced a conference titled Behind the Curtain: Insight Into the Aviation Practice from Go-Team to Trial on October 22-23, 2009, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C.:
Greetings:
Please take a moment to mark your calendars and make plans to join your colleagues at the Annual TIPS Aviation and Space Law Committee conference being held this year on October 22 – 23, 2009 in Washington D.C. We are once again gathering at the beautiful downtown Ritz-Carlton Hotel which is conveniently located near all of our Capitol’s landmarks, museums and attractions.
The Co-Chairs of this year’s Program have put together what we hope will be an interesting and informative two day conference. Led by engaging and knowledgeable aviation practitioners, we will take a look at the flow of an aviation accident from the initial on-scene investigation through trial or settlement. They will provide us with insight into a variety of topics designed to stimulate lively discussion on issues including:
• A behind the scenes look at domestic and foreign accident investigations and their impact on the subsequent litigation that arises
• Mediation and settlement strategies from Judge Robert W. Sweet
• The nuances of international discovery under the Hague Convention, and conflicts created between European privacy directives and U.S. style discoveryAs always, our program will include a presentation on Recent Developments, with a new perspective as two attorneys from opposite sides of the bar debate the reasoning and holdings of the recent cases. We will also hear from the in-house counsels of large airlines, as well as government lawyers and insurers in our field, to hear what concerns them today and how the continuing current economic climate is affecting their operations. Attendees will have an opportunity to sharpen their practice skills by learning what truly impacts jurors’ decision-making and gain knowledge on how to deal with electronic discovery issues.
Our program traditionally provides a unique opportunity to meet and interact with fellow aviation practitioners from around the world. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity and enjoy the beautiful fall colors and weather in our nation’s capitol. We look forward to seeing you!
You can register online or via the registration form in the brochure.
Facilitating Concrete Partnerships between Ukrainian and European Actors in the Space Sector 12-13 November 2009, Kiev, Ukraine
September 9, 2009 at 9:06 am | Posted in Space Law Current Events | Leave a commentby P.J. Blount with the blog faculty
EURISY is organizing a conference titled Facilitating Concrete Partnerships between Ukrainian and European Actors in the Space Sector on 12-13 November 2009 in Kiev, Ukraine. According to the second announcement:
Objectives of the Conference
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine inherited a large part of the USSR’s space related scientific and technological capabilities and developed into one of the top eight countries in the international space community. This predestines Ukraine to be an important partner for European space programmes.Europe and Ukraine have subsequently developed their cooperation in space matters. In recent years an intensification of the cooperation between European and Ukrainian actors has been observed in the fields of Galileo, with EADS, ESA and the EU-funded twinning project “Boosting Ukrainian Space Cooperation with the EU” from April 2008. Within this context, Eurisy is organising this conference to further operational partnership and cooperation between European and Ukrainian actors in the space sector. The conference will provide a forum for industry, SMEs, research institutes and universities to ascertain each other’s programmes and capabilities and to identify opportunities and mechanisms for collaboration.
The conference will focus on four actor-centred topics: European and Ukrainian policies and programmes; institutional support mechanisms for cooperation; European and Ukrainian space economies as well as scientific and educational panoramas.
Registration is open.
Library: A Round-up of Reading
September 8, 2009 at 2:58 pm | Posted in Library | Leave a commentArticles
James Clay Moltz, Toward Cooperation or Conflict on the Moon? Considering Lunar Governance in Historical Perspective, Strategic Studies Quarterly, v. 3 n. 3 p. 82 (Fall 2009)
Max Vozoff, “COTS-like”: the future of space procurement, The Space Review
David A. Koplow, ASAT-ISFACTION: CUSTOMARY INTERNATIONAL LAW AND THE REGULATION OF ANTI-SATELLITE WEAPONS, 30 Michigan Journal of International Law 1187 (2009)
Blogs
Convenient Untruths From a Space Priest – Out of the Blue, Into the Black
More calls for commercialization – Space Politics
No NRO Involvement in Air Force PAN Satellite Launch This Month? – Got GEOINT?
Federal Governments Seeks to Condemn Land for Flight 93 Memorial – Volokh Conspiracy
Treaty Math – Arms Control Wonk
Bolden’s ethics waiver – Space Politics
Spatial Law and Policy (September 6, 2009) – Spatial Law and Policy
Launch Aid and Compliance with the WTO Airbus Ruling – International Economic Law and Policy Blog
Another space review, it must be the UK – Hyperbola
Backgrounder on Airbus/Boeing WTO Dispute – Aviation Law Prof Blog
Augustine Committee Summary Report
September 8, 2009 at 2:40 pm | Posted in Space Law | Leave a commentby P.J. Blount with the blog faculty
Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee (Augustine Committee) has released a summary report. The summary of key findings states:
6.0 SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS
The Committee summarizes its key findings below. Additional findings are included in the body of the report.The right mission and the right size: NASA’s budget should match its mission and goals. Further, NASA should be given the ability to shape its organization and infrastructure accordingly, while maintaining facilities deemed to be of national importance.
International partnerships: The U.S. can lead a bold new international effort in the human exploration of space. If international partners are actively engaged, including on the “critical path” to success, there could be substantial benefits to foreign relations, and more resources overall could become available.
Short-term Space Shuttle planning: The current Shuttle manifest should be flown in a safe and prudent manner. The current manifest will likely extend to the second quarter of FY 2011. It is important to budget for this likelihood.
The human-spaceflight gap: Under current conditions, the gap in U.S. ability to launch astronauts into space will stretch to at least seven years. The Committee did not identify any credible approach employing new capabilities that could shorten the gap to less than six years. The only way to significantly close the gap is to extend the life of the Shuttle Program.
Extending the International Space Station: The return on investment to both the United States and our international partners would be significantly enhanced by an extension of ISS life. Not to extend its operation would significantly impair U.S. ability to develop and lead future international spaceflight partnerships.
Heavy-lift: A heavy-lift launch capability to low-Earth orbit, combined with the ability to inject heavy payloads away from the Earth, is beneficial to exploration, and it also will be useful to the national security space and scientific communities. The Committee reviewed: the Ares family of launchers; more directly Shuttle-derived vehicles; and launchers derived from the EELV family. Each approach has advantages and disadvantages, trading capability, lifecycle costs, operational complexity and the “way of doing business” within the program and NASA.
Commercial crew launch to low-Earth orbit: Commercial services to deliver crew to low-Earth orbit are within reach. While this presents some risk, it could provide an earlier capability at lower initial and lifecycle costs than government could achieve. A new competition with adequate incentives should be open to all U.S. aerospace companies. This would allow NASA to focus on more challenging roles, including human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit, based on the continued development of the current or modified Orion spacecraft.
Technology development for exploration and commercial space: Investment in a well-designed and adequately funded space technology program is critical to enable progress in exploration. Exploration strategies can proceed more readily and economically if the requisite technology has been developed in advance. This investment will also benefit robotic exploration, the U.S. commercial space industry and other U.S. government users.
Pathways to Mars: Mars is the ultimate destination for human exploration; but it is not the best first destination. Both visiting the Moon First and following the Flexible Path are viable exploration strategies. The two are not necessarily mutually exclusive; before traveling to Mars, we might be well served to both extend our presence in free space and gain experience working on the lunar surface.
Options for the Human Spaceflight Program: The Committee developed five alternatives for the Human Spaceflight Program. It found:
• Human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit is not viable under the FY 2010 budget guideline.
• Meaningful human exploration is possible under a less constrained budget, ramping to approximately $3 billion per year above the FY 2010 guidance in total resources.
• Funding at the increased level would allow either an exploration program to explore Moon First or one that follows a Flexible Path of exploration. Either could produce results in a reasonable timeframe.
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