Res Communis

IMSO Signs LRIT Services Agreements/Contractual Arrangements With Brazil, The United States and Ukraine

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

From the IMSO:

IMSO NEWS 034
13 April 2010

IMSO SIGNS LRIT SERVICES AGREEMENTS/CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS WITH BRAZIL, THE UNITED STATES AND UKRAINE

The IMSO Director General, Captain Esteban Pacha-Vicente, today signed LRIT Services Agreements between IMSO and the National LRIT Data Centres of Brazil and Ukraine, as well as contractual arrangements between IMSO and the United States relating to its national LRIT Data Centre and the interim international LRIT Data Exchange.

A total of 42 LRIT Services Agreements/Contracts have now been signed.

The LRIT Services Agreement, prescribed in the IMSO Convention, establishes the relationship between IMSO, as the LRIT Coordinator appointed by IMO, and the LRIT Data Centre for the audit and review of each Data Centre. A Model LRIT Services Agreement was approved for this purpose by the IMSO Assembly at its Twentieth Session on Malta in 2008.

The IMSO LRIT Audit Procedures provide that the LRIT Data Centre Operator should sign an LRIT Services Agreement/Contractual Arrangements with IMSO before the Audit takes place, and settle its financial obligations with IMSO before the final audit report is submitted to the IMO Maritime Safety Committee.

IMSO is reporting to the Eighty-Seventh Session of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) on the annual audits so far carried out in relation to Bahamas, Brazil, Canada and the Marshall Islands. IMSO is in the process of carrying further audits of LRIT Data Centres, as well as the interim International LRIT Data Exchange, on a phased basis in line with their integration dates/start of operations.

NRO Chief Crafting Road Map To Spur Spending

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

From Aviation Week:

NRO Chief Crafting Road Map To Spur Spending

Apr 15, 2010

By Amy Butler

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) Director Bruce Carlson says he plans to submit a research and technology investment road map with his Fiscal 2012 budget plan, and he hopes this will kick off increased spending in this area.

Carlson says that 50%-60% of the technology now on satellites that are soon to launch came from those research coffers. But, science and technology funding has “slackened” in recent years, jeopardizing the ability of the NRO to deliver innovative satellites and sensors in the future. The NRO is responsible for developing and operating the nation’s classified satellites.

Carlson says that there are “several” forthcoming launches of “very large, very critical” satellites in the next 18 months. He says that the NRO is embarking on its “most aggressive” launch schedule in the past 25 years. . . . [Full Story]

White House Press Secretary on New NASA Strategy

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

From the White House:

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
April 14, 2010
Briefing by White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, 4/14/10

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

1:32 P.M. EDT . . .

. . . Q Robert, can you respond to Neil Armstrong’s criticism of the administration’s plans for NASA? He read the new fact sheets that you guys put out and still has the same criticism, this idea that the space program is going to become mediocre.

MR. GIBBS: You know, I watched some of the reporting on this. I would say that, first and foremost, an independent commission has looked at NASA, at its budget, and at its programs, and found that they — the programs were years behind schedule, massively over budget, that we weren’t going to meet the time frame of going to the moon under any circumstance. In fact, the commission itself found that the idea of going to the moon under the timetable prescribed was un-executable. That’s their word.

Q So why not fix that process, improve that, rather than scrub the program?

MR. GIBBS: Again, they — again, Chuck, and I’m sure you all have dug into this and found that given the time frame and given the budget and given the ability to meet the goals that they laid out, again, the commission found that that was simply not attainable.

The President will outline a renewed strategy tomorrow in Florida that will provide more jobs for the area, greater investment in innovation, more astronaut time in space, more rockets launching sooner, and a more ambitious and sustainable space program for America’s future.

That’s why, again, there have been many, including Buzz Aldrin, who believe that what the President will outline represents our best opportunity and our best effort to get this agency and program back on pace to put astronauts and rockets into space, as the President so strongly desires.

Q That sounds like you take issue — it sounds like you take issue with this — the idea that jobs are going away. Because that’s what a lot of people in Florida — Senator Bill Nelson is concerned about this — that jobs are going away. You’re saying there are going to be additional jobs –

MR. GIBBS: There will be additional jobs. Again, remember –

Q — there are going to be a bunch of jobs going away.

MR. GIBBS: Remember that there was a decision made in 2004 to retire the shuttle program. The deadline actually had been extended. But the plan that the President will outline actually would result in more jobs for the area than would have been had the plans simply been carried out. So I think that, again, the President will outline this in more specificity and detail tomorrow, but this is a sustainable investment in our continued returning to space.

Q But to Chuck’s point, won’t there still be jobs lost because of the programs that are being discontinued?

MR. GIBBS: Again, that was a decision made more than six years ago to discontinue the shuttle program.

Q But, Robert, on the same thing –

MR. GIBBS: Again, the President is going to get into this in great detail tomorrow.

Q But what response does he have to someone like Neil Armstrong, who has now been out –

MR. GIBBS: The same one I just gave to Chuck, based on –

Q What about the specific comment that America is giving up its leadership?

MR. GIBBS: Understand this. As I said, an independent commission was formulated to study where the program was, whether it was capable of fulfilling what it said it was going to do. The commission — and, again, an independent commission — came back and said that was un-executable, not going to happen. What the President has done is put in place something that is sustainable, that will return astronauts and rockets to space, increase our investment in cutting-edge research and innovation, and provide us the best opportunities.

Q But you’re changing from what — he’s making changes from what he had earlier this year.

MR. GIBBS: He is.

Q And what caused that?

MR. GIBBS: Again, a strong desire to see our nation continue to lead the world in space exploration. But understand — Major just asked the Secretary and myself about unsustainable budgets. No one has been immune to this. The President froze non-security defense — non-security discretionary spending for a three-year period of time. We have lived for a long time beyond our means. So the original program, again, envisioned would not have been available to return to space until 2028 to 2030.

Q — regards the space program, though, as part of the national security — is a national security issue.

MR. GIBBS: Well, there are — well, again, I think there are obvious and cutting-edge research and innovation investments that a whole host of people in this administration and out believe are tremendously important. That’s why the President’s renewed program protects that and, again, provides something that is sustainable. The program that had been in place, Chuck, was not going to — just simply not going to happen. . . .

Earthquake in China

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

The Disaster’s Charter has been activated for an Earthquake in China:

Earthquake in China

Type of Event: Earthquake
Location of Event: China
Date of Charter Activation: 14/04/2010
Charter Requestor: National Disasters Reduction Center of Cina
Project Management:

Description of the Event
A major earthquake of magnitude 7.1, struck the Yushu County on 13 April 2010. The earthquake caused damages to most of the nearby buildings, to the airport and to some of the hydropower stations.

India takes on chairmanship of ITU Council for 2010

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

From the ITU:

India takes on chairmanship of ITU Council for 2010
Strategies discussed for development of information and communication technologies

Geneva, 13 April 2010 – ITU’s governing body, the Council comprising of 46 Member States, began its annual session today. Meeting six months before the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, which will take place in Guadalajara, Mexico, 4-22 October 2010, the Council will take this opportunity to review the implementation of the Union’s strategic and financial plans for the 2008-2011 period as well as the draft plans for 2012-2015.

At the first plenary meeting, India took over the rotating chairmanship from Ghana. Mr R.N. Jha, Deputy Director-General, Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, said in his opening address as Chairman, “This session of Council is particularly important as this is the year of the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference. Many issues being discussed here will find their way to the Mexico conference.” Mr Jha added that as ITU celebrates its 145th anniversary this year, the importance of the Union is increasing as newer technologies, applications and services are introduced that contribute to economic growth worldwide.

In his State of the Union address, ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré noted some recent landmark achievements, such as new ITU standards for the development of 3D TV and a universal charger solution for mobile phones as well as ITU’s timely interventions in restoring communications in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in Haiti and Chile earlier this year. Recognizing the need for broader support to strengthen ITU’s role, Dr Touré said, “As a market-responsive organization in a fast-changing environment, we need to work constantly to continue to increase our relevance.” He added that ITU members “will be convinced that supporting ITU’s work is good value for money.”

The Council will discuss preparations for the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference, the key event at which ITU Member States decide the future role of the organization, thereby determining its ability to influence and affect the development of information and communication technologies (ICT) worldwide. Held every four years, the Conference sets the Union’s general policies, adopts the strategic and financial plans and elects the senior management of the organization, members of the Council as well as members of the Radio Regulations Board.

ITU Council will also focus on the next major event on the calendar: the World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-10) which will take place in Hyderabad, India, 24 May – 4 June 2010. WTDC-10 will set the telecommunication/ICT agenda for the following four-year cycle. A number of Regional Preparatory Meetings have been held around the world to provide inputs on strategies and priorities to the World Conference to foster the development of ICTs. “I cannot over-emphasize the exceptional importance of WTDC this year,” said Dr Touré. “The Conference will adopt a declaration and an action plan that will pave the way to building on the foundations of a truly global information society.”

ITU Council expressed its condolences to the people of Poland and to the families of President Lech Kaczynski and his entourage of senior officials who perished in the plane crash in western Russia on 10 April.

ITU Council also paid tribute to Dr Pekka Tarjanne who held office as Secretary-General of ITU from November 1989 until January 1999. Dr Tarjanne passed away in February this year.

Fact Sheets on President’s Strategy for Space Exploration

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

Both NASA and the OSTP have released fact sheets in advance of President Obama’s address on space exploration tomorrow in Florida.

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation Issues First Safety Approval

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

From the FAA/AST:

FAA Commercial Space Transportation Safety Approval

The Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) has issued the first-ever safety approval for a Spaceflight Training System. The approval was granted on April 7, 2010 to the National Aerospace Training and Research Center (NASTAR) of Southampton, Pennsylvania, for a centrifuge simulator with the ability to expose flight crew members to the G-forces they will experience during suborbital flights.

The approval process involved a thorough review of the design and operation of the NASTAR STS-400 simulator and on-site observation by AST personnel. NASTAR plans to offer its space flight simulation training to launch operators to support commercial suborbital space flights.