Res Communis

ESA Ministers Conclude Council Meeting

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

From ESA:

European Ministers inject new impetus to ensure space’s role as a key asset in facing global challenges

26 November 2008
ESA PR 47-2008. The Ministers in charge of space activities in the European Space Agency’s 18 Member States and Canada today concluded a successful two-day Council meeting in The Hague, agreeing to undertake new initiatives in several fields and endorsing the next phases of a set of ongoing programmes.

Today’s decisions are a further step towards giving Europe the means to respond to global challenges. In keeping with the European Space Policy, designed in cooperation with the European Commission, the measures will further strengthen Europe’s role in the development and exploitation of space applications serving public policy objectives and the needs of European citizens and enterprises.

ESA Council at Ministerial Level, The Hague, November 2008
These decisions have particular relevance at the present time, showing as they do Europe’s determination to invest in space as a key sector providing for innovation, economic growth, strategic independence and the preparation of the future.

Recognising that space is a strategic asset and that it is of fundamental importance for the independence, security and prosperity of Europe, the Ministers also adopted four Resolutions:

* first, “The role of Space in delivering Europe’s global objectives”, covering the political and programmatic highlights of the Council;
* second, a resolution establishing the Level of Resources for the Agency to cater for Space Science programmes and basic activities in the period 2009-2013;
* third, the renewal of the contribution of ESA Member States to the running costs of the Guiana Space Centre – Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana (South America); and
* fourth, a resolution outlining the future evolution of the Agency, spanning its financial management reform, decision-making processes, industrial and procurement policies and the further development of site infrastructures for ESA programmes.

Decisions on programmes/activities

On the programmatic side, the Ministers took decisions concerning the full range of the Agency’s mandatory and optional programmes:

The decisions taken concern the following:

a) The Agency’s mandatory activities:

* Funding of the Level of Resources for 2009-2013 covering the Scientific Programme and basic activities.

b) Continuation of ongoing optional programmes and start of new programmes:

* Subscriptions for the Launcher programmes, including funding of the Guiana Space Centre, Ariane 5 and Vega accompaniment technology programmes, Ariane 5 evolution and the future launchers preparatory programme.

* Subscriptions for the Earth Observation activities, including the second segment of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security Space Component programme, the Meteosat 3rd generation development programme and a novel Climate Change Initiative on the provision of essential climate variables.

* Subscriptions for the human spaceflight, microgravity and human exploration programmes including exploitation and evolution of the International Space Station, on-board research in life and physical sciences and definition studies on the evolution of a returnable transfer vehicle.

* Subscriptions to robotic exploration programmes (the ExoMars programme and preparatory activities on future Mars robotic exploration).

* Subscriptions for Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES), focusing on technologies, applications and mission demonstrations and including preparatory work for a European Data Relay System (EDRS), an air traffic management satellite system (Iris) and Integrated Application Promotion combining usage of telecommunications, Earth observation and navigation satellite systems with terrestrial information and communications systems.

* Subscriptions for the programme on the evolution of the European Global Navigation Satellite System, to continue the improvement of Galileo.

* Subscription to the start of a Space Situational Awareness programme to provide the information to help protect European space systems against space debris and the influence of adverse space weather.

* Subscription to the continuation of the General Support Technology programme to provide in a timely way technologies for a wide range of new space programmes.

Space is an enabling tool which gives European decision-makers the ability to respond to critical challenges such as global climate change and global security. It brings a significant contribution to Europe’s growth and employment; it provides indispensable enabling technologies and services for the knowledge society; it increases the understanding of our planet and Universe; and it contributes towards European identity, cohesion and security, providing inspiration for future human potential and bringing young people into scientific and technical education.

Through this meeting the ESA Ministers have seized the opportunity to capitalise on the recent successes and achievements of Europe in space and to translate the political impetus into new programmes able to deliver knowledge, services and competitiveness and to shape ESA to assert itself as a global space agency, indispensable to the world in contributing to global policies.

A video of the press conference is available.

NigComSat-1 Insurance Issues

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

From SatNews Daily:

November 25, 2008

Biting The Bullet Are NigComSat-1 Insurers

Insurers providing cover for NigComSat-1 satellite, which is now grounded in space, may pay as much as N17 billion in claims.

Nigeria’s NigcomSat 1 The satellite, built by the China Great Wall Industry Corporation at a cost of $340 million, became the first African geosynchronous communications satellite when it was launched in China on May 13, last year. It is operated by the Nigerian Space Agency (NASRDA) and NigComSat, which said it was put into “emergency mode operation in order to effect mitigation and repairs.” A consortium of international insurance firms — including SpaceCo of France, Munich Cray of Germany, and the People’s Insurance Company of China — reportedly provided cover for the satellite. Local insurance companies, which banded together as co-insurers, may have retained about 10 per cent of the risks and shared an equivalent percentage of the premium. They are now expected to contribute an equivalent percentage of the total claims. Sources said about five local insurance companies, comprising mainly of subsidiaries of banks, may be having problems raising the funds to pay. The shareholders’ funds of the banks amount to about N5 billion; so, as a source put it, “some insurance companies in the country which provided cover for NigComSat may be in trouble. International WAPIC Insurance, the local lead underwriter in 2007, was said to have been edged out during the renewal for the business in 2008. NICON was supposed to be the lead underwriter, but its efforts were sabotaged by other insurance companies owned by powerful organisations and individuals who saw a juicy deal without anticipating problems.

State Department: Fact Sheet – START Treaty

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

The Department of State released a fact sheet on the negotiations going on in relation to the replacement for the START Treaty:

Fact Sheet
Bureau of Verification, Compliance, and Implementation
Washington, DC
November 21, 2008

[START Treaty]

In accordance with Paragraph 2 of Article XVII of the Treaty Between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START), on November 17, 2008, Representatives of the United States of America, The Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine met in Geneva, Switzerland to consider whether to extend the 1991 Treaty.

Therefore, the requirement of the Treaty to meet on the issue prior to December 5, 2008, is fulfilled. However, the Parties desire to point out that there was no Treaty requirement to make a decision to extend the Treaty at this meeting.

The United States of America, The Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine will continue to consider the issue and note that a decision on this issue can be made up until the date of expiration of the Treaty on December 5, 2009.

CNES Takes the Lead in Disasters Charter Organization

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

From CNES:

Charter aids disaster-hit nations
17 November 2008
Founded in 2000 by CNES and ESA, the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters regularly provides free satellite imagery to help nations organize emergency response efforts in the event of a natural disaster. For the next 6 months, CNES will be at the helm of this organization.

“The charter’s main objective is to obtain a satellite image of a disaster area as quickly as possible,” says André Husson, who sits on the Board of the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters.

As soon as the charter receives an alert, its 9 signatory space agencies* task their satellites and domain experts to deliver urgent satellite imagery to disaster-affected nations. “This imagery allows emergency response teams to assess the damage and locate survivors who need help, adds André Husson.

Events for which the charter has been pressed into action this year include the violent earthquake in China in May, Hurricane Gustav in the West Indies and more recently floods in Vietnam. In the last 8 years, the charter has been activated 198 times. “The charter is being activated more and more often, once a week on average,” notes André Husson.

But the signatories have no intention of being overwhelmed by the charter’s success. Member space agencies chair the charter on a rotating basis to manage daily activities and optimize its working mechanisms. CNES recently took over the helm from the Canadian Space Agency and will be chair until April 2009. . . .