The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) launched the Human Space Technology Initiative (HSTI) in 2010 under the framework of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications in response to the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III) held in 1999. HSTI aims to promote international cooperation in human spaceflight and space exploration-related activities and create awareness among Member States on the benefits of human space technology and its applications.
From the beginning, outer space has caught the imagination of humanity. With the technological development, travelling into space became finally a reality. On 12 April 1961, Yuri Gagarin was the first human being to venture into space, opening up a new era of human activity which was no longer limited to the surface or atmosphere of the Earth. Within a decade, the first human beings set foot on the surface of the Moon. After the end of the Apollo-programme, human space activity focused on the low Earth orbit and on research. Several temporary space laboratories were operated by the Soviet Union and the United States of America. In 1980s, the Soviet Union launched the Mir station and operated it for more than a decade. With the end of the Cold War, a new opportunity for cooperation emerged which culminated in the combined effort of 15 countries, comprising Canada, European countries, Japan, Russia and the United States of America, to develop, launch and operate the International Space Station (ISS) since 1998. All in all, during the last five decades, about 500 humans have lived and worked in space.
The Third United Nations Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNISPACE III), held in Vienna from 19 to 30 July 1999, recognized that large human space exploration missions exceed the capacity of a single country and cooperation should be privileged in this area. The ISS was cited as an example of this new paradigm made possible by the end of the Cold War era. The UNISPACE III recommended the development of future space science programmes, in particular through international cooperation, and to encourage the access to the ISS from countries which had never participated in that endevour. It further advocated the world-wide dissemination of information about research activities onboard the International Space Station.
In 2010, HSTI was launched under the framework of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications with the purpose of creating awareness on the benefits of human space technology, to promote international cooperation in human spaceflight and space exploration-related activities, and to support capacity-building in microgravity research and education.
As part of HSTI, the first Outreach Seminar on the International Space Station was held in Vienna, Austria, on 8 February 2011. Seventeen Member States participated in the seminar along with the ISS partners: the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States of America, and the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos). This seminar established that HSTI could be a meaningful mechanism for creating awareness about the potential of the ISS and the research conducted on the ISS among countries, regions, and potential users that have up to this point not been involved with such activities, thereby contributing to capacity building in microgravity science and technology education. The details on this event are available at: http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/oosa/en/SAP/hsti/outreach-seminar.html
The United Nations/Malaysia Expert Meeting on Human Space Technology was held in Putrajaya, Malaysia, from 14 to 18 November 2011, hosted by the Institute of Space Science (ANGKASA) of the National University of Malaysia and attended by 125 professionals from 23 countries working in governmental institutions, universities and other academic entities as well as the private sector. (A/AC.105/1017). The objectives of the Expert Meeting were to raise awareness about human space technology and its applications among Member States of the United Nations and to discuss how to promote the Human Space Technology Initiative in the world. The Expert Meeting had nine technical sessions divided into four categories: microgravity science; education, outreach and capacity-building; national, regional and international space programmes; and International Space Station programmes. Three working group sessions and one joint working group session were also conducted. The working groups considered microgravity science; education, outreach and capacity-building; and the Human Space Technology Initiative.
During the working group discussions, 10 recommendations were formulated and endorsed by all the participants. They are: (a) the Human Space Technology Initiative should take action to create awareness among stakeholders, including decision makers in governmental and private sectors, researchers and students; (b) the Initiative should identify and inform Member States about space-related research opportunities; (c) the Initiative should establish capacity-building programmes; (d) the Initiative should serve as a catalyst for international collaboration by promoting formation of common interest groups; (e) the Initiative should promote knowledge exchange and data-sharing by raising awareness and promoting user-friendly mechanisms for data access; (f) Governments, institutions and individuals were encouraged to use human space-based platforms for research; (g) Governments, institutions and individuals were encouraged to explore ground-based research for gravity-related science and for preparing space-based experiments with microgravity simulators; (h) Governments, institutions and individuals were encouraged to explore commercial alternatives for conducting education and research activities in space; (i) Governments and institutions were encouraged to use space education as a tool for inspiring and motivating people and sustaining interest in science and technology; and (j) Governments were encouraged to incorporate space education into their national school curricula in different subjects at school as well as into the curricula of university courses. The details on this Expert Meeting are available at: http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/oosa/en/SAP/hsti/expert-meeting-2011.html
In 2012, HSTI will be carrying out various activities based on its work plan. The second Expert Meeting on Human Space Technology will be held in Vienna, Austria, from 11 to 12 June 2012. The Expert Meeting will further discuss how to facilitate HSTI activities to promote human space technology and its applications to benefit the world, specifically focusing on utilization of the International Space Station (ISS) for education, Earth observation and disaster response, and health.
-Space station activities
This page was last updated on 6 July 2012.