Space-faring nations lay groundwork for human, robotic exploration

[bananas]

Source: Reuters

Officials from 32 of the world's space-faring nations concluded a trio of summits on Friday to tackle expanding participation in the International Space Station and planning for eventual human expeditions to Mars.

Fifteen nations collaborated to build the space station, a permanently staffed research complex that flies about 250 miles (about 400 km) above Earth. On Wednesday, the Obama Administration announced its intent to extend station operations to at least 2024, four years beyond when it was slated to be removed from orbit.

"We're very happy to hear about extension," Xu Dazhe, administrator of the China National Space Administration, said on Friday at the International Academy of Astronautics conference, one of three global space summits hosted in Washington this week.

"It means that by the time our space station is being built, we would have a companion up there," Xu said, speaking through a translator.

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Read more: http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/space-faring-nations-lay-groundwork-for-human-robotic-exploration-469663

[bananas]

1. China wants space collaboration with US

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/china-wants-space-collaboration-with-us/articleshow/28678995.cms

China wants space collaboration with US
By PTI | 11 Jan, 2014, 04.07PM IST

BEIJING: Buoyed by the successful landing of a rover on the Moon, China has sought global cooperation for space exploration, especially with the US which prohibits direct collaboration between NASA and Chinese space agencies.

Xu Dazhe, the new chief of China's space industry who is in Washington to attend the International Space Exploration Forum, said: "We are willing to cooperate with all the countries in the world, including the United States and developing countries."

His presence at the Forum, organised by the US State Department, is regarded as significant as American law prohibits contacts between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Chinese space agencies because of security concerns.

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He said the US invitation to China to take part in the International Space Exploration Forum, and his participation, have sent a positive signal.

Xu said his attendance shortly after taking the new job was meant to send a signal to his counterparts worldwide that China is willing to strengthen its cooperation with other nations, state-run China Daily reported.

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[bananas]

2. The three conferences

I think two were IAA conferences and one was the ISEF.

The International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) will be holding two major events in Washington DC, USA: the IAA Space Exploration Conference on 9 January 2014 and the Heads of Space Agencies Summit on Exploration (Planetary Robotic and Human Spaceflight Exploration) on 10 January 2014.

http://spaceref.com/calendar/calendar.html?pid=8314

[bananas]

3. Remarks at the International Space Exploration Forum William J. Burns Deputy Secretary of State

http://spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=45150

Remarks at the International Space Exploration Forum William J. Burns Deputy Secretary of State

Status Report Source:
Posted Thursday, January 9, 2014

Washington, DC

January 9, 2014

Good morning. I am very pleased to welcome all of you to the State Department and the International Space Exploration Forum. We have with us today representatives from emerging and established space-faring nations from every corner of the globe - an unprecedented gathering at an unprecedented time for space exploration.

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The question facing us today is whether we can muster the courage and political will to advance space exploration and ensure that cooperation continues to trump competition.

If we do that - if we choose to put our collective strength behind cooperative efforts rather than competing efforts - the opportunities are as vast as the solar system itself. Let me highlight three particular areas where we can enhance our collaboration.

First, we should encourage more countries to participate in the activities of the International Space Station. The Station remains the leading space platform for global research and development. The Station is the foundation for future human exploration to an asteroid, the Moon, and ultimately Mars. And it is a lasting testament to how much more we can accomplish together than we can on our own.

Second, we should explore ways to encourage entrepreneurial ventures and support the kind of robust and competitive commercial space sector that is vital to the next era of space exploration. Already, two U.S. companies - Space X and Orbital Sciences - have become the first private sector entities to send missions to the International Space Station, allowing NASA to focus on cutting edge missions beyond low earth orbit.

Finally, we can do much more to defend the planet from near-earth objects and space debris. We continue to work through the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space to deal with this challenge, and we are working with the European Union and other countries to develop an International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities. We also would welcome international support for NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission, which, among other things, will help us learn how to better defend our planet from a catastrophic asteroid collision.

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[eggplant]

4. We could just sell the rights to the ISS to China instead of de-orbiting it.

Maybe they can fly it into orbit around the moon? Or we could send it unmanned to mars and park it there?

[truthisfreedom]

5. Yes, just think about how much money and time and energy was spent getting all of that weight off

the surface and into orbit! It's completely recyclable... we should leave stuff in space when its time is up so we can use it for resources!