the need of integrated strategic plans for international space exploration initiatives
- Paper number
IAC-08.D3.1.4
- Author
Prof. Ernesto Vallerani, Space Exploration and Develoment Systems Master, Italy
- Year
2008
- Abstract
Within the Space Community is cherished, since several decades the expectation to embark in a significant Space Exploration Initiative that will lead Humans back on the Moon and on forward to Mars. After a long period of lack of interest, following the announcement of a renewed Vision for Human Space Exploration made by the U.S.A President, there has been a revival of attention that has lead several Countries to declare interests to join and to activate Plans of Actions to identify their role in future cooperative Exploration Initiatives. Examining, after almost a lustrum, the situation that has developed and evaluating the limited progress that has been so far achieved in the integration of these plans and in the definition of the co-operative schemes to be followed to implement a coherent action of progressive expansion of the Humans beyond our Earth, it appears quite clear that the need still exist for an "Integration of the Plans" aiming at a wide co-operative effort leading to International Initiatives that calls for the support of all the Space Faring Nations. Some reflections supporting and suggesting the early establishment of an "European Strategy of International Cooperation" in Future Space Exploration Initiatives, that will allow the achievement of a significant leading position, are discussed. The rules to be established for achieving, among the various Partners, a "Long Lasting Equitable International Cooperation" and that have to be agreed upon quite early in the process of integration of the efforts, are outlined. The main objective of the International Cooperation has to be the efficient "Optimization of the Results", with avoidance of the duplication and redundancy and with capitalization of the resources benefiting each one of the contributions of the others; this leads on one side to the need of a repartition of the roles in the development of all the various Elements that constitute the Space Exploration Architectural Complex, and on the other side to the necessity of establishing the rules for the Operation and Utilization of the Elements themselves. Even if the ownership of the Elements is maintained, their use has to be offered to all the Partners, under very well clarified conditions, in order to ensure equitable access to the Integrated International Architecture Complex, in a way that properly accounts for their level of investments. The identification and selection of the Elements to be developed in the frame of such an Integrated International Approach has to respond to a "Far-sighted Strategy" that, contrary to what usually is happening, does not always necessarily privileges the criteria of fulfillment of the requirements deriving just from the analysis of the short term objectives resulting from the interest of the identified Stakeholders, but accounts for a vision of the whole. Suggestions are reported of the establishment of a "Strategy for Europe", based on a far looking in the future, on which basis the contribution to the "Integrated International Architecture Complex" are identified and described. The plan discussed, accounts for the position so far expressed by the U.S, and takes into consideration also the indications of interest emerging from other Nations such as Russia, Japan, China and India, to name the major ones. The resulting scenario offers to Europe, since the early phases of the Moon exploration, several leading roles that might evolve to even more important roles in the Human Exploration of Mars that is considered by far the most relevant objective of the Exploration Initiatives of the next decades to come.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-08.D3.1.4.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.