Technical programme

E3.1. Regional cooperation in space: policies, governance and legal tools

This session will provide a forum for the discussion of existing or emerging schemes for regional cooperation in space. Three key domains are considered: political aspects (balance between common objectives, regional integration, and soveignty, national pride, …) economic aspects (level of funding, contribution mechanisms, "return rules", …) and legal regimes (e.g. ESA Convention, EU "space competence", …). Papers are expected from Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa. This session will support the activities of the IAA on-going Study Group on the same topic.

E3.2. International Space Exploration Policies and Programmes

Space Exploration is an important space policy domain and international cooperation plans and partnerships have been gaining momentum in recent years, as reflected by the International Space Exploration Forum and the IAA Heads of Space Agencies Summit on Exploration planned on January 2014. This session will provide a forum to reflect on the trends in space exploration and present the latest developments in the field, including the results from these events. This session is supporting the activities of an IAA Study Group on "Dynamics of Space Exploration Strategies and Future Outlook".

E3.3. The space economy: what are the socio-economic impacts?

The 'space economy' covers the value-chain of the space sector (from launchers to satellites and space services) and its various downstream applications. This session will focus on actual illustrations (with figures), where the returns of investing in space systems and/or its downstream uses are discussed, either at country, regional or even corporate levels (e.g. job creation due to a space activity, direct and indirect value-added derived from applications, cost-savings, productivity gains). Papers should also present the underlying methodologies used to get to the results.

E3.4. Assuring a Safe, Secure, and Sustainable Space Environment for Space Activities

Space Activities provide a wealth of increasing benefits for people on Earth. However space actors have come to realize that in order to continue the many benefits the world community has come to depend on, the international community will have to develop the technical, legal, policy, and political means to keep a safe, secure, and sustainable space environment. This session will explore the progress being made within multilateral fora, the private sector, and individual countries in reaching a safe, secure, and sustainable space environment. It will especially examine activities within the UN Committee for the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space; the European Union proposed Code of Conduct for Space Activities, and other efforts to create the conditions for this desire end.

E3.5-E7.6. 30th IAA/IISL Scientific-Legal Roundtable: Universities as Actors in Space

Over the past years universities in all regions of the world have become a new player in space activities. They get involved in various ways, the most prominent one being cubesat missions, but also experiments on the ISS or other missions are cost-effective and less complex means to gain access to space. Cubesats and the opportunity of secondary payloads also allow new cooperation between academia and industry, fostering spin-off effetcs and triggering innovation. University space projects often enjoy a higher participation of women, thus allowing an early engagement with the space industry, which may trigger future career changes. However, questions related to technical issues such as standardisation, legal boundary conditions and operation of cubesats and secondary paylods often are difficult to answer yet. And still, flight opportunities remain limited and operation via foreign ground stations is not always easy. Generally, there is potential to enlarge and enhance the involbement of universities in space activities. Issues, but also benefits for education, industry and agencies should be identified and debated. The 2015 IAA/IISL Scientific-Legal Roundtable is to address those questions, thereby allowing an interdisciplinary perspective.

E3.IP. Interactive Presentations