The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is an office of the U.N. Secretariat that promotes and facilitates peaceful international cooperation in outer space.[1] It works to establish or strengthen the legal and regulatory frameworks for space activities, and assists developing countries in using space science and technology for sustainable socioeconomic development.
The Office was established in 1958 to assist and advise the ad hocCommittee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), which was established by the UN General Assembly to discuss the scientific and legal aspects of exploring and using outer space to benefit humankind.[2] The Committee became permanent the following year, with UNOOSA undergoing several structural changes before its relocation in 1993 to the United Nations Office in Vienna, Austria.
As the secretariat of COPUOS, the Office is responsible for helping implement the major international treaties, legal principles, and General Assembly resolutions that together comprise space law.[3][4] Other duties include advising governments and nongovernmental organizations on space law; maintaining a registry of vessels and objects launched into space; convening forums to discuss various space-related matters; and sponsoring programmes that provide access to space technology.[5][6]
History
In 1957, the launching of Sputnik 1 prompted a global conversation and debate on the legal, scientific, and political implications of space exploration.[7]
On 13 December 1958, the ad hoc Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) was established by the General Assembly in its resolution 1348 (XIII), becoming a permanent body within the General Assembly. They soon met for the first time to discuss a peaceful and legally ordered approach to space exploration. Concurrently, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) was created as a small expert unit within the UN Secretariat in New York to assist the Committee in its work.[7]
In 1962, UNOOSA was moved to the Department of Political and Security Council Affairs (DPSCA), where it was transformed into the Outer Space Affairs Division.[8]
In 1967, the Outer Space Treaty, which had been developed by COPUOS, entered into force, creating the first international legal framework governing the conduct of space activities.[8]
In 1992, the Outer Space Affairs Division changed to its current form as the Office for Outer Space Affairs, remaining within Department for Political Affairs and Peacebuilding (which succeeded the DPSCA). The following year, UNOOSA was relocated to its current headquarters at the United Nations Office at Vienna.[9]
At the start of the 21st century, UNOOSA undertook initiatives and programs to fulfill its mandate of promoting widespread and peaceful international involvement in space. In 2005, the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG) was established to promote compatibility, interoperability and transparency between all the satellite navigation systems, particularly for developing nations.[10] The following year, the UN-SPIDER programme was created to provide an accessible platform for developing states to use space-based technologies for disaster management and emergency response. Two offices were established (in Bonn, Germany and Beijing, China) to further the programme's work.[11][12]
In 2009, Japanese astronaut Takao Doi became Chief of Space Applications.[13]
In 2010, the Human Space Initiative was launched to further UNOOSA's mission of providing developing countries with access to the use and exploration of space.[14]
In March 2014, the UN Secretary-General appointed Simonetta Di Pippo of Italy as Director of the Office, who had previously served as Director of Human Spaceflight at the European Space Agency.[15]
In September 2015, pursuant to the Human Space Initiative, UNOOSA partnered with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to launch the "KiboCUBE" programme, which allows developing countries to deploy their own indigenously produced CubeSats from the Japanese Kibo module on the International Space Station.[16] Through the programme, Kenya and Guatemala launched their first satellites in 2018 and 2020, respectively.[17][18]
On 16 June 2016, UNOOSA announced a partnership with the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) to give nations the opportunity to fly their experiments and personnel on board the Chinese space station Tiangong.[19]
In September 2016, UNOOSA announced the first United Nations space mission, with an initial target launch date in 2021.[20] The mission will utilize the Dream Chaser spaceplane, designed by the American Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), to enable developing nations to send microgravity payloads into low-Earth orbit.[21]
In 2019, the launch date for the proposed Dream Chaser mission, expected to carry up to 35 payloads, was updated to sometime in 2024.[22]
UNOOSA works primarily to implement the decisions of UN General Assembly and of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. The office has the dual objective of supporting the intergovernmental discussions in the Committee and its Scientific and Technical Subcommittee[24] and Legal Subcommittee,[25] and of assisting developing countries in using space technology for development.[citation needed]
The mandate has been adjusted a number of times to allow the Office to undertake, among other tasks, the coordination of the inter-agency cooperation within the United Nations on the use of space technology - UN-Space[26] (resolution 3234 [7] implementing the United Nations Programme on Space Applications[27] (resolution 2601A (XXIV))[28] and the UN-SPIDER[11] Programme for disaster risk management and emergency response (resolution 61/110).[29]
The Office also coordinates and cooperates with space agencies and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations involved in space-related activities and, on behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General, the Register of Objects Launched into Outer Space. The office also helps poor nations suffering from climate change related problems by helping them access satellite images for free.[citation needed]
Structure
UNOOSA is headed by a Director appointed by the UN Secretary-General, from 2023 this is Aarti Holla-Maini of Belgium and the UK.[30] The Director's Office is responsible for public outreach, the Register on Objects in Outer Space, and programmes for youth engagement.[31] It has two sections: the committee, Policy, and Legal Affairs (CPLA), headed by Niklas Hedman of Sweden, and the Space Applications Section (SAS), headed by Luc St- Pierre of Canada.[32] The CPLA fulfills the Office's secretarial duties to the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, its subcommittees, and its working groups. It also convenes and services the Inter Agency Meeting on Outer Space Activities, known as UN-Space, which is the central inter-agency coordination mechanisms in the UN system on overarching space matters.[26] UN-Space meets annually to discuss current and future activities, emergent technologies of interest, and other related matters, particularly regarding the global development agenda.[33] The section is concerned with the establishment of a legal and regulatory framework governing space activities, and actively fosters capacity-building in space law and policy.
The Space Applications Section works on building capacities in the practical application of space technology and space-derived information for development. The Programme concentrates its efforts on ensuring the equal access of all countries to new space-based technologies, especially developing nations. To facilitate the capacity building with focus on developing countries, the office provides three initiatives:[31]
The Human Space Initiative focuses on the public outreach to promote increased awareness among Member States to the benefits of space technology and its applications.[14]
The Basic Space Technology Initiative enhances access to space application tools for sustainable development through building capacity in basic space technology.[34]
The Basic Space Science Initiative supports the growth of small research groups in universities and research institutions in the developing countries in the fields of astronomy and space science.[35]
The Programme also focuses efforts on the potential of space-based information for disaster management and emergency response. The UN-SPIDER programme (established 2006) helps to achieve this objective by being a gateway to space information for disaster management support, serving as a bridge to connect the disaster management and space communities and being a facilitator of capacity-building and institutional strengthening, in particular for developing countries.[11][12]
The International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG) promotes voluntary cooperation on matters of mutual interest related to civil satellite-based positioning, navigation, timing, and value-added services. To support the work of ICG, the Office was designated as the Executive Secretariat of ICG. In that capacity, UNOOSA is organizing regional workshops, training courses, and international meetings focusing on capacity-building in the use of GNSS-related technologies in various rapidly growing fields of science and industry.[10]
Staff
Citizens of more than 50 countries have served as staff members, consultants, and interns.[citation needed]
The Outer Space Treaty, formally the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, is a multilateral treaty that forms the basis of international space law. Negotiated and drafted under the auspices of the United Nations, it was opened for signature in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union on 27 January 1967, entering into force on 10 October 1967. As of August 2023, 114 countries are parties to the treaty—including all major spacefaring nations—and another 22 are signatories.
Space law is the body of law governing space-related activities, encompassing both international and domestic agreements, rules, and principles. Parameters of space law include space exploration, liability for damage, weapons use, rescue efforts, environmental preservation, information sharing, new technologies, and ethics. Other fields of law, such as administrative law, intellectual property law, arms control law, insurance law, environmental law, criminal law, and commercial law, are also integrated within the space law.
Udupi Ramachandra Rao was an Indian space scientist and former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation. He was also the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Physical Research Laboratory at Ahmedabad and Nehru Planetarium at Bengaluru and chancellor of the Indian Institute for Space Science and Technology (IIST) at Thiruvananthapuram. He is known as "The Satellite Man of India". He pioneered India's first satellite launch Aryabhata in 1975.
The Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), in support of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications, is a non-governmental organization and professional network whose goal is to convey the perspectives of students and young space professionals to the United Nations (UN), space industry, space agencies, and academia.
The United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) is a United Nations committee whose main task is to review and foster international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space, as well as to consider legal issues arising from the exploration of outer space.
The development of Ugandan space initiatives has been largely shaped by that country's position on the equator. Its history is marked by an early involvement in issues of space law, and in 2022 by the launch of its first satellite, PearlAfricaSat-1.
The Romanian Space Agency is a public institution that coordinates Romania's national space technology research programs and activities related to space research. ROSA, established in 1991, is subordinate to the Romanian Ministry of Education.
Space policy is the political decision-making process for, and application of, public policy of a state regarding spaceflight and uses of outer space, both for civilian and military purposes. International treaties, such as the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, attempt to maximize the peaceful uses of space and restrict the militarization of space.
The Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1974 and went into force in 1976. As of February 2022, it has been ratified by 72 states.
UN-SPIDER is a platform which facilitates the use of space-based technologies for disaster management and emergency response. It is a programme under the auspices of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).
The Algerian Space Agency, was established on January 16, 2002 in Bouzareah, Algiers. The agency is in charge of the Algerian space program, and has flown five different satellites.
Simonetta Di Pippo is an Italian astrophysicist and former Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA). She holds a Master’s Degree in Astrophysics and Space Physics from University "La Sapienza", and an Honoris Causa Degree in Environmental Studies, and an Honoris Causa Degree of Doctor in International Affairs. In 2008, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) named asteroid 21887 "dipippo" in honour of her contribution to space activities and in 2006, she was knighted by the President of the Italian Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi.
For All Moonkind, Inc. is a volunteer international nonprofit organization which is working with the United Nations and the international community to manage the preservation of history and human heritage in outer space. The organization believes that the lunar landing sites and items from space missions are of great value to the public and is pushing the United Nations to create rules that will protect lunar items and secure heritage sites on the Moon and other celestial bodies. Protection is necessary as many nations and companies are planning on returning to the Moon, and it is not difficult to imagine the damage an autonomous vehicle or an errant astronaut—an explorer, colonist or tourist—could to one of the Moon landing sites, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
Space traffic management is defined by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) as "the set of technical and regulatory provisions for promoting safe access into outer space, operations in outer space and return from outer space to Earth free from physical or radio-frequency interference."
Space sustainability aims to maintain the safety and health of the space environment.
Space diplomacy refers to the integration of the collaboration of the knowledge, technology, and legislation involved in science diplomacy as applied to the expanded exploration of space. As diplomatic relationships are integral to the mitigation of various health, scientific, natural or technological issues across nations, space diplomacy is a growing field in which various nations can come to a consensus on what is fair when it comes to the exploration and commercialization of space travel.
The domain of international space politics gained significant traction during the Cold War. This was largely fuelled by the ongoing space race between the USA and the USSR. At this time in history, space exploration was an endeavour largely restricted to the global superpowers and seemed out of reach for many smaller, developing, nations to actively participate in. Subsequently, public concerns for the cost of research and development into novel space technologies did not receive sufficient policy and academic attention in Africa. As the Cold War reached its conclusion, political power began to diffuse across the world, and this led to many smaller nation states developing national and regional space capabilities. In the context of Africa, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt and South Africa were the front-runners in terms of investments into space-related research and development.
The Space for Climate Observatory, or SCO, is an international initiative launched in 2019 to combat and adapt to the impacts of climate change using satellite data.
Aarti Holla-Maini is a British lawyer, economist and space expert. Since 2023 she has been Director of United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).
References
↑ "About us". www.unoosa.org. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
Various conventions, treaties, agreements, memorandums, charters or declarations establishing and governing intergovernmental organisations or inter-agency bodies dealing with space affairs
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