Remote Sensing and
Global Navigation;
high concerns of COPUOS
United Nations Committee
of Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN-COPUOS) held its 50th meeting in
Following the advent of
Third United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer
Space (UNISPACE-III) in 1999, COPUOS has addressed variety of issues including Erath
observation and global navigation and positioning, with practical results in
promoting international cooperation in peaceful uses of outer space. Action
teams established following UNISPACE-III have made in-depth analysis on certain
areas of space applications that led to setting up of the International
Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (ICG) and to the UN Platform
for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response
(SPIDER); the later is currently in process of implementation within the Office
for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA), Committee's Secretariat.
For more than 40 years space technology has contributed to Earth observation. Synopsis and effectiveness of remote sensing technology and other space-based technologies including data for positioning/navigation and data relay by satellite are well known. Most COPUOS members are either operators of satellite observation systems or mane users of data from such systems or both. Many coordination mechanisms has been already carried out internationally to maximize the value of Earth observation and monitoring from space such as the program of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) and the Integrated Global Observing Strategy Partnership (IGOS). Formation of the international Group on Earth Observation (GEO) in 2003 to develop a Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) extended the international coordination to non-space-based observation networks and drew attention to new disciplines such as biodiversity, energy and health. Global warming and its probable relationship to human activities needs to develop a comprehensive mitigation strategy to which COPOUS contributes by encouraging and facilitating the use of space systems for understanding and monitoring the changes affecting the Earth.
ICG was established
as a result of the work of the Action Team on Global Navigation Satellite Systems.
It is notable that ICG includes a large number of NGOs involved in setting
standards on the use of satellite navigation signals and promoting new
applications which is significant achievement of the UNISPACE III follow-up
process. In 2007, COPUOS through its Scientific and Technical
Subcommittee included as a regular agenda item recent developments in GNSS to
consider issues related to ICG, the latest developments in the field of GNSS and
its new applications.
International
cooperation in promoting use of space-derived geospatial data for sustainable
development, space remote sensing of Earth
for
environmental data acquisition, hazard monitoring, weather forecasting, climate
change studies, ocean conditions monitoring, topographic and land-use surveys,
agriculture, forestry and water resource management, etc. are matters of
concern for COPUOS that works out them continuously.
Parviz Tarikhi
is a space science and technology senior expert and manager, freelance
journalist and technical writer based in