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Not for profit podcast. Astronomy, Deep Space Exploration and International Collaboration

Episode 81: United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

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Simonetta Di Pippo. Director, United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. Credit: Author

Ensuring the peaceful uses of outer space has been the primary objective of the United Nations, as set out in the Outer Space Treaty, established in 1968. The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) achieves this by promoting international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space. This interview with UNOOSA director Simonetta Di Pippo was recorded at IAC 2018. Some parts may be a little noisy. An audio and video of this episode are available below.

UNOOSA serves as the secretariat for the General Assembly’s only committee dealing exclusively with international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space: the  United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

UNOOSA Projects. Credit UNOOSA
UN GNSS. Credit UNOOSA
Credit UNOOSA

Some of the highlights include:

  • UNOOSA is responsible for maintaining the public register of all space objects ever launched to Earth orbit and beyond.
  • United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER)  is a flagship programme established in 2006.  UN-Spider has access to multiple space agencies to acquire historical and current satellite images to help with emergency disaster management from wherever they arise – Earthquakes, flooding, forest fires and threats from outer space, including Space weather and near-Earth Asteroids. 
  • Outer Space Treaty is a “masterpiece”. The UN operates through a consensus-based mechanism. It is this consensus that the Outer Space Treaty is so resilient. Still operational and relevant more than fifty years after it was founded. It remains coherent and powerful and will remain so through the coming phase of commercial space operations. 
  • UNOOSA acts as a broker to promote International Collaboration. The Japanese Space Agency is promoting small-satellite projects from developing nations and university students, thereby fostering the development of National Space Agencies worldwide (currently about 70 countries). The Japanese Space Agency, JAXA, is helping new countries such as Kenya, Hungary, UAE, Guatemala, Mauritius and Indonesia to have some level of space presence.
  • UNOOSA supported the China National Space Agency’s  Announcement of Opportunity to host payloads on the China Space Station. A total of 36 proposals were received for payloads aboard CSS. A selection process is now underway.
  • As a separate announcement, CNSA announced that China will host Pakistan’s first astronaut aboard the CSS by 2022. However, Pakistan’s Space Agency SUPARCO has not yet mentioned it on its website.
Simonetta Di Pippo. Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

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Episode 80: S Somnath Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

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S Somnath. Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. Credit. Author

S. Somnath joined the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala in 1985 and today he is its director. With more than three decades at ISRO, he has held several key posts, including director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre. This episode is available in audio and video below.

This interview was recorded on 5th October 2018 in Bremen, Germany, during the IAC2018, so it is a little noisy in parts.

ISRO delegation at IAC2018. Credit IAC2018
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Credit ISRO
ISRO Stand at IAC 2018. Credit Author

Some highlights include

  • Satish Dhawan – Brought a new vision and restructured ISRO at the organisational level. He consolidated and integrated specialist centres throughout India into the national organisational structure that exists today.
  • Only solid propellants are manufactured on site at Sriharikota. Liquid and cryogenic propellants are transported over a day and a half from ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Centre to Sriharikota. Currently, only roads are used, but sea transport may be an option in the future.
  • The heavy-lift GSLV Mk3 second development flight is scheduled to launch before the end of 2018.  A target of three successful development flights is required before GSLV Mk3 is designated as operational.
  • Currently, the Sriharikota launch capacity of 12 to 18 launches per year is determined by the industry’s capacity to manufacture launch vehicles. The private sector has all the technological competencies but lacks the capacity to deploy them. 
  • An additional launch site would not be of value at this time. Once private sector capacity increases within the next 2 to 3 years, additional launch sites would be useful.
  • VSSC played a key role in developing the technologies required for the Human Space Flight programme. The  Pad Abort Test was successful. The parachute detached at the planned time and not prematurely, as it looks in the video.
S Somnath. Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

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Public talk at the British Interplanetary Society Thursday 29th November 2018

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BIS HQ – Arthur C Clarke House

Event – A talk about the Indian Space Programme – based around my 2017 book of the same title.
Date – 29 November 2018
Time – 19:00- 20:30
Address – British Interplanetary Society, Arthur C. Clarke House, 27-29 South Lambeth Road, London, SW8 1SZ  (Nearest tube – Vauxhall station on the Victoria Line)
Cost – £10 for non-members, book online  here 
More details – See the BIS website

The format is a standard – standup and talk using a powerpoint presentation with a Q&A.  Limited signed copies of the book will be available on the day.  Book reviews here.

Only a limited number of copies will be available on the day. If you do want to reserve a copy of the book in advance – please send an email (info@astrotalkuk.org). 

The BIS has been around since 1933 and has a fantastic library. If you have not visited before it is worth arriving 30 mins early and having a look at the space related display – tea and coffee are available for a small donation. 

Post event photos. Thanks to Geir Engene from BIS.

Episode 79: satsearch.co – A single digital marketplace for the global space supply chain?

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Satsearch co-founders  – Kartik Kumar, Alberto Vaccarella and Narayan Prasad

A space startup based in the Netherlands – www.satsearch.co is attempting to establish a single digital global marketplace for space components, products and services.  Ultimately, Satsearch’s goal is to reduce cost and time by helping customers and suppliers of space components, products and services find each other online.  This episode is available in audio and video below.

The Satsearch website/portal is hosted in a cloud environment (Amazon Web Services) and is only available in English, with other languages in the pipeline. Currently, the service is free for both suppliers and customers. How it will make money in the future is not yet clear, but the current focus is on growth. The founders hope to develop Satsearch into a sort of “yellow pages” for space products and services but with a richer vendor-neutral metadata interface supported by modern AI tools and applications.

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