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Space Expo Centre to open in Noordwijk

The European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), ESA's main technical es tab l i shment has jo ined forces with the Noordwijk Space Expo Foundation to set up a permanent space exhibition centre on the ESTEC site in Noordwijk, The Netherlands.

The Centre will have a dual role; as well as housing a permanent exhibition open to the public, it will also serve as the official ESTEC visitors' centre.

A ceremony on 26 October 1989 marked the formal start of the building works for the Noordwijk Space Expo. It followed the signing of a Development and Operating Agree- ment by Mr Marius Le F~vre, Direc- tor of ESTEC, acting on behalf of ESA, and the Chairman of the Noord- wijk Space Expo Foundat ion , Dr Rudolf Dessing.

The Noordwijk Space Expo plans to open its doors to the public in the summer of 1990. The building will include a large exhibition area of 1600 m e, an auditorium with 150 seats, a space shop, and a coffee shop. At least 100 000 visitors are expected annually.

The exhibition will aim to communi- cate the myriad benefits of space and space technology through an attrac-

tive, educational and dynamic exhibition on four principal themes - the history of space flight, the European space effort, the future of space flight, and spin-offs from space.

The exhibition will be open to the public six days a week and feature authentic space hardware, models and audio-visual presentations; it will, in addition, allow visitors to view live video coverage of important space events, such as Ariane launches and satellite tests.

Over 30 European Aerospace com- panies and space-related organizations in the ESA member states have don- ated funds to the Noordwijk Space Expo Foundation. Local authorities, the Province of South-Holland and The Netherlands Ministry of Econo- mic Affairs have also demonstrated their suppor t through substant ia l financial contributions.

It is thanks to this cooperat ive effort, on a truly European scale, that after two years of preparatory work, the Noordwijk Space Expo Founda- tion was able in the summer of 1989 to give the go-ahead for the development of the exhibition centre.

Source: ESA, 8-10 rue Maris Nikis, 75738 Paris Cedex 15, France.

USSR and Canada widen space cooperation Soviet and Canadian scientists have signed a protocol on the widening of scientific research. During a meeting in Kiev in September 1989 they agreed to cooperate further in the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space.

Commenting on the results of the

work, corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Albert Galeyev, Director of the Academy's Institute of Space Research, said that this cooperation comprised such areas as solar-terrestrial physics, astrophy- sics, radio astronomy, materials sci-

ence, space biology and medicine. He said that Soviet scientists pro-

posed to supplement these areas with a complex of terrestrial research from space. This area has assumed special importance nowadays through its ap- plication to environmental protection and to surveying Earth's mineral resources.

Barry Wetter, Director of Canadian space exploration programmes, said Canadian scientists had very good re- lations with Soviet specialists. He cited examples of successful joint work in the areas of solar-terrestrial physics and space medicine. Canadian scientists are now preparing for joint experiments on board the Soviet satellite Biocosmos.

Further cooperation in the creation of on-board instruments for new projects to make space and X-ray tele- scopes was also discussed in Kiev. The Canadian side will provide an optical instrument to observe the Northern Lights.

Source: Novosti, 3 Rosary Gardens, London SW7 4NW, UK.

Vive la satellite An Adelaide, South Australia, company, CODAN Proprietary Limited, is building a product that will increase the life of the world's communications satellites.

The company has developed the Orbtrack antenna tracking controller because past problems with the US Space Shutt le and the European Ariane programme have led to long delays in launching new satellites.

C O D A N will build equipment developed jointly by the University of Newcast le , in New South Wales , Overseas Telecommunications Limi- ted and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisa- tion's Division of Radiophysics.

The general manager of CODAN's satellite communications division, Mr Al lan Gobolos , said geostationary

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satellites had a lifespan of five to seven years, depending on the amount of fuel they could carry for the small rocket motors which kept them in position. It had been found, however, that by allowing geostationary satellites to move to an inclined orbit their life could be extended considerably, which would be a great boon to world- wide communications, given present delays in satellite launches.

The problem was that to use satellites in inclined orbit the ground antenna must track the satellite, not

remain s ta t ionary . Most smal ler ground antennas were not designed for this. The CODAN equipment would enable antennas to track the satellites accurately with little wear to their drive mechanisms. The device could qearn' an orbit and maintain tracking for up to five days, even if the satellite beacon was lost.

Source: Australian Science and Tech- nology Newsh'tter, Vol 1 Number 12, October 89, CSIRO, Canberra, Aus- tralia.

Inmarsat and Morsviazsputnik agreement lnmarsat and Morsviazsputnik, the Soviet sa te l l i t e c o m m u n i c a t i o n s organization, signed an agreement in July 1989 under which the USSR will provide technical consultancy services to Inmarsat on the design of a geostationary international civil complement on Glonass, the Soviet global navigation satellite system.

The four-month study was to be performed by expert representatives from Glavkosmos, the Soviet agency responsible for Glonass development, and Morsviazsputnik. Two specific subjects were to be addressed: com- patibility between signals of both the Inmarsat and Glonass systems, and formatting of integrity messages of the health status of Glonass satellites.

Inmarsat's efforts, in cooperation with the European Space Agency and others, in developing an international satellite navigation capability are fo- cused on the geostationary augmentation of GPS and Glonass navigation satellite constellations. GPS is the US satellite navigation system under de- ployment.

This augmentation is intended to increase, in a cost-effective manner, the reliability and dependability of GPS and Glonass for international civil users.

Source: Inmarsat, 40 Melton Street, London NWI 2EQ, UK.

Cooperation in Earth sciences The US-USSR Joint Working Group on Earth Sciences held its second meeting in Washington DC, 17-21 July, 1989.

The group was formed pursuant to the Space Cooperation Agreement between the USA and the USSR signed in Moscow on 15 April 1987 and

amended on 31 May 1988. Its objec- tive is to conduct joint experiments and to acquire and exchange space- based and related ground-based data important to solving problems associated with global change.

The group agreed to cooperate in two sub-satellite experiments related

to land-atmosphere interactions, oul. lined plans for a joint research pro gramme in volcanology and agreed to cooperate in studies of changes m the Earth's cryosphere in response ~ global climate warming.

The two sub-satellite experiments call for nine Soviet scientists to provide ground-based and airborne experiments anti to participate in the [JS first field experiment in the Interna- tional Satellite I,and Surface Climatt> logy Project which took place m Kan- sas during the summer of 1989.

US scienti~t~ will provide experiments and participate in a similar experiment near Kursk m the [!SSR in 1991. The experiments will include thc exchange of Soviel and [JS satellite data on these sites.

The joint research progrannnc m volcanology includes a prospective joint field verification campaign m Kamchatka, USSR, in 1990 and a subsequent campaign in comparable US v o l c a n i c r e sea r ch si tes . A measurement campaign using all- borne, satellitc and ground-based techniques could follow, as a later phase of joint research. Plans for the field verification campaign in Kam- chatka are expected to be confirmed and refined at a working level meeting in the fall.

Climate changes A coopera t ive project t o study changes that are occurring in the Earth 's cryosphere in response lo global climate warming was initiated with the participation of the I{JS Geological Survey, NASA's Goddard Space Flight ( 'enter, Greenbelt, MD. and the Institute of Geography ot the USSR Academy of Sciences. The two sides will prepare experimental maps compiled from satellite remote sensing imagery -- to document changes that have occurred and are occurring in the coastal regions of Antarctica.

Both sides noted with satisfaction the progress achieved in the prepara- tion of the US Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer to be flown on the Soviet Meteor 3 spacecraft in the second half of 1991.

They also expressed support for continued interaction between the IJS

80 SPACE POLICY February 1990

and USSR in oceanographic research programmes related to understanding ocean processes of importance in global change.

Joint scientific meetings are planned to discuss biospheric dynamics and problems of desertification and forest stress. Additional information ex-

changed on trace gases and research in ocean remote sensing are expected to lead to joint activities at subsequent meetings.

Source: NASA News, Washington, DC 20546, USA.

• and in Solar System exploration

The third meeting of the US-USSR Joint Working Group on Solar System Explorat ion was held on 13-18 November, 1989, in Moscow. The Soviet delegation was headed by the Director of the Vernadsky Geochemi- cal Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Academician V.L. Barsu- kov. The US delegation was headed by Samuel W. Keller, NASA Associ- ate Deputy Administrator.

During the meeting, specialists of both sides noted that at the present time the continued exploration of the planet Mars is of primary interest. To increase the scientific return of this and other planetary missions, they

agreed to coordinate scientific programmes and studies planned in the USSR and the USA. They also agreed on the participation of Soviet and US scientists as co-investigators in each other's projects and on the exchange of scientific data from these missions.

The participants at the meeting held a preliminary discussion of studies re- quired to establish scientific goals for lunar science.

The group's next meeting is scheduled for Autumn 1990 in Washing- ton, DC.


Office of Space Flight takes off The NASA Administrator Richard H. Truly has provided additional details on the consolidation of the Offices of Space Flight and Space Station into a single organization. Headed by Associate Administrator Dr William B. Lenoir, the newly formed organization will be called the Office of Space Flight (OSF). George Abbey will continue to serve as the Deputy Associate Administrator for the organization.

'The consolidation provides a struc- ture within which the leadership and accomplishment of assigned program-

mes and space transportation will be assured,' said Lenoir. 'The division of responsibilities is clear and the mechanisms to assure coordination are in place.'

It is planned that the OSF organization will include four major areas: Space Shuttle, Space Station Free- dom, Space Flight Systems, and Hu- man Resources and Institutions. Robert L. Crippen is the acting Direc- tor of the Space Shuttle Programme, and Richard H. Kohrs is the Director of the Space Station Freedom prog-

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ramme. Joseph B. Mahon is the Director for Flight Systems, and Richard J. Wisniewski is the Director for Human Resources and Institu- tions.

Several offices and staff positions will provide Lenoir with direct support. These areas are Resources Man- agement, with responsibility for re- source evaluation and integration for all OSF programmes, and Program Control for Space Station Freedom in Reston VA, and the Space Shuttle at the Johnson Space Center, Houston; Transportation Services which will serve as the interface with space transportation customers; an Executive Unit with responsibility for corres- pondence control, audit functions, re- views of NASA management instruc- tions, and administrative and management services to the OSF organization at NASA Headquarters; and a Tech- nical Integration and Analysis Office which will provide the Associate Administrator with a quick-response capability in dealing with selected technical issues or concerns.

The consolidation results in no major changes in the Space Shuttle programme. At NASA Headquarters, the organization now in place continues with the major functions of Program Plans, System Engineering and Analy- sis, and Operations Utilization. Two deputies continue to be located at the Johnson Space Center and Kennedy Space Center, FL, respectively. Lines of communication and decision mak- ing remain unchanged.

The most significant changes made as a result of the consolidation have been made to management organization within the Space Station Freedom programme. This organization has been strengthened and programme management has been consolidated into NASA Headquarters, Washing- ton, DC, and Reston.

The Program Director's office will now include three major functions: engineering, operations and policy. The Deputy Director, Robert Moore- head, is located in Reston and is sup- ported by a Deputy for Operations, also located at Reston, and a Deputy for Integration, located at the JSC. The Deputy for Integration is sup- ported by two field offices, with a

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manager for element integration at the Marshall Space Flight Center, Hunts- ville, AL, and a manager for system integration at JSC. At Reston, strong staff offices in system engineering and analysis, management integration, and safety, reliability and quality assurance are retained.

No major organizational changes have been made within the Space Flight Systems division.

A new focus on human resources management has been assigned to the Human Resources and Institutions organization. Primary responsibilities continue to be the advocacy, deter- mination and recommendat ion of manpower, facilities and other institu- tional resources. The focus on leadership development within the OSF at NASA Headquarters and across the centres will be strengthened.


Transportation agreement signed The USA and FR Germany have agreed to cooperate in space transportation. The NASA Administrator, R i c h a r d t t . T r u l y and H e i n z Riesenhuber, Federal Minister for Re- search and Technology signed a m e m o r a n d u m of u n d e r s t a n d i n g (MOU) in Washington, DC enabling the launch of German payloads on the Space Shuttle in July 1989.

The agreement confirms general understandings for the terms and con- ditions under which NASA will fur- nish launch and associated services on a reimbursable basis consistent with US and German space policy. Under the MOU, specific launch services, agreements or other agreements will be signed for each activity.

The first flight will be the D-2 Spacelab mission, currently scheduled

for launch in February 1992_ It witl carry German materials processing and life sciences experiments and a small number of NASA experiments. The crew will include two German payload specialists. The Federal R e public has paid earnest molley r~, NASA for an additional mission, tht' D-3 Spacelab, currently scheduled f~ launch in November 1993.

Under a similar agreement signed in April 1981, the FRG's D-I Spacelab mission was successfully completed in November 1985. The D-1 mission cal- ried materials processing and life .~ci- ences experiments. The crew included two German and one Dutch payload specialists.

Source. NASA News, Washington, DC 20546, USA.

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