The creation of a space Policy in Colombia, a chaotic history

Paper number

IAC-12,E3,4,9,x14780

Author

Prof. Camilo Guzman, UNIVERSIDAD SERGIO ARBOLEDA, Colombia

Year

2012

Abstract

During recent years, Latin-American countries have initiated the creation of space policies in order to find a place on the global list of countries which already have activities in space. Recently, countries such as Chile, Mexico, and Venezuela have joined Brazil and Argentina in their interest and development of outer space affairs.


Colombia, following this movement and on the occasion of the launch of the satellite Libertad 1 by the University Sergio Arboleda, began the process of creating a space policy. The first step that was given in this respect was the creation of the Colombian space Commission. little by little, This commission was creating room for reflection, workgroups, and had began to mount the project of the launch of a teleobservation satellite. In addition, another telecommunications satellite project was implemented. Nevertheless, the status of the Commission is incomplete and insufficient since this organization possesses neither juridical legal status nor an independent budget.

Although neither of the projects hav been followed through to fruition, and despite the abandonment of the telecommunications project, the experience and interest generated has paved the way for possible further development. The aforementioned projects have moved the members of the commission to take advantage of the great reform of the Colombian public administration in order to propose the creation of a real space agency. The role of the new agency would be the creation and implementation of a space policy in order to carry out the various projects.

. This agency was trying to give major importance to the topic and overcoat was solving the failings of the commission by means of the creation of an administrative unit.

Nevertheless, the project was rejected; it was argued that the results by the commission had not warranted the creation of the agency. This series of events has lead us to face an insoluble paradox wherein the agency has not been created due to lack of results and where no such results are achievable due to the absence of an agency. Over time, work that has already been carried out falls by the wayside and it appears to be fear of failure which has lead to the diminution of any kind of space policy for Colombia, leaving Colombia as one of the few Latin-American countries left without a space policy or agency in place to pursue one.

Abstract document

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