INTRODUCTION
This conference follows on from the 1st Impact of Space on Society conference held as a stand-alone International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) event held in Budapest in March 2005 and is intended to gather experts interested in this broad, complex and international topic at a time when the world is celebrating not only the 50th anniversary of spaceflight, but also the 50th anniversary of the International Geophysical/Polar Year. The conference is hosted by the European Space Agency (ESA) at its large R&D establishment in Noordwijk, The Netherlands and is co-organized with the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (CASI) and the International Academy of Astronautics. It is anticipated to hold a third such conference, organized by CASI and co-organized with ESA and the IAA in Canada in 2008.
The conference will explore some of the many important and critical issues which are having an impact on society such as global warming and climate change, natural disasters, energy needs and resources, water management and security with a view to emphasizing how space systems, technologies and applications are helping to provide viable solutions to terrestrial problems.
The conference will also examine the role of innovation, creativity and spin-in in conceptualizing, designing, developing and building technologies for space exploration and how this can be harnessed for societal good. To this end, entrepreneurs will be able to show how their ideas and concepts to utilize space technologies for new products and services can help meet society?s needs.
TOPICS
Papers are sought which address such topics as:
? Critical issues and choices facing society in the not so distant future
? How space developments and space technologies can realistically provide solutions to urgent
terrestrial challenges
terrestrial challenges
? Space exploration as a catalyst for providing solutions to terrestrial problems
? Achieving sustainable development through space activities
? National and global space policy issues and priorities
? The impact that space activities are having upon society and how the public perceives them
? Benefits of space in our daily life – technology transfers and spin-offs
? Innovation and creativity in space systems design and development
? New advances and developments outside the space sector which could spun-in to space programmes
? Ethical and humanitarian issues of space activity
?Ensuring greater public awareness of the role played by space systems in preserving Earth
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
In order to obtain an interesting and lively discussion of the important issues facing society and the role that space activities do and can play in this respect, the organizers hope to bring together a group of leading environmentalists, sociologists, economists, philosophers, policy makers and industrialists to interact with visionary and specialist space experts to explore and discuss what viable options space development and space technologies can realistically provide for society in the critical years ahead.
(Source ESA)