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Secure World Foundation Newsletter - November/December

Announcements

December 16, 2013

SWF Awards Ray Williamson Future Fund

The Ray Williamson Future Fund was established in 2011 in recognition of Dr. Ray Williamson’s outstanding service as Executive Director (2007-2011) of SWF.  The Future Fund is an annual award of scholarship or professional development assistance to students or young professionals with demonstrated commitment to and aptitude for the advancement of the Foundation’s values, goals, and objectives. This year's scholarship has been awarded to Ms. Magaly Sandoval Pichardo to support her travel to the International Space University (ISU) Southern Hemisphere Space Studies Program (SHSSP) in Adelaide, Australia.

Ms. Sandoval first came to Secure World Foundation’s (SWF) attention  in  2012 as an International Astronautical Federation (IAF) Emerging Space Leader at  the  International Astronautical Conference (IAC).  Emerging Space Leaders, many of  whom  are first time participants in an international conference, have the opportunity to  work  together in a yearly IAF-sponsored Cross-Cultural Workshop to improve their  delivery of  oral paper presentations. She stood out from many of the other scholarship  winners, all  high achieving individuals,because of her poise in presenting to a group,  her strong desire  to excel, and her willingness to help others. Ms. Sandoval’s CV and  technical papers reveal her strong commitment to satellite engineering, through involvement in the construction and eventual launch of Costa Rica’s first satellite, and to the promotion of STEM education in her country. 

Recent SWF Events

November 4, 2013

Satellite Servicing and Debris Removal: An Assessment of Prospects and Challenges

On November 4, 2013, SWF hosted a luncheon panel discussion to summarize events held in the past year that focused on on-orbit satellite servicing (OOS) and active debris removal (ADR). In 2012, DARPA held a public conference and workshop in Washington, DC, and in 2012 and 2013, SWF worked with partners to hold a series of conferences, workshops, and panel discussions to explore the future of OOS and ADR activities. These events took place in the United States, Belgium, and Singapore, and included representations from a variety of international and commercial stakeholders.

The panel discussion featured perspectives from SWF Technical Adviser Mr. Brian Weeden and from Mr. Dave Barnhart, Program Manager for DARPA's Phoenix satellite servicing mission, and was moderated by SWF Executive Director Dr. Michael Simpson. 

 

November 11-15, 2013

SWF Partners in the United Nations/Belarus Workshop on "Space Technology Applications for Socio-Economic Benefits"

On November 11-15, 2013, SWF partnered with the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs and the Belarusian State University to organize a Workshop on "Space Technology Applications for Socio-Economic Benefits" in Minsk, Belarus. The overall objective of the workshop was to increase awareness among policy makers and planners on the socio-economic benefits of utilizing space technology. The workshop contributed to international cooperation by providing opportunities to exchange in-depth information on the event's focus area.

 

November 21, 2013

SWF Co-Organizes an International Meeting "Food Security, Earth Observations, and Agricultural Monitoring"

SWF, the European Commission (EC), and the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Secretariat partnered on November 21, 2013 to organize an international meeting titled "Food Security, Earth Observations, and Agricultural Monitoring" held in Brussels, Belgium. The purpose of this meeting was to assess the situation regarding global observational facilities, models, and derived services needed to meet the demand in developed and developing countries regarding agricultural production. The workshop reported on the progress made in implementing Global Observation Systems for services in the domain for monitoring aspects of agricultural production. Current, planned, and potential activities were reviewed, as well as progress made for obtaining the necessary resources to implement those activities. The workshop contributed to the implementation plan necessary to put in place the Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring (GEOGLAM) Program, as well as identified the necessary resources to sustain it with attention to national capacity development and food security.

 

 December 9, 2013

"Gravity" in Real Life: Legal and Political Implications of an Accident in Space

On December 9, 2013 SWF hosted a luncheon panel inspired by director Alfonso Cuarón's recent box office hit Gravity. The discussion centered around if such an accident could really happen today; a comparison of the real life threat of space debris to that portrayed in the film; and what the current legal regime brings to the scenario. The discussion addressed the political and strategic consequences in the international community, a brief history on anti-satellite (ASAT) programs, as well as the Chinese space station Tiangong, both of which featured prominently in the film, and finally, what is being done to address such a threat today, especially at the international level.

The panel featured presentations by Dr. Henry Hertzfeld (Research Professor of Space Policy and International Affairs, George Washington University), Dr. Darren McKnight (Technical Director, Integrity Applications, Inc.), and Ms. Marcia Smith (Founder and Editor, SpacePolicyOnline.com). The event was moderated by SWF Executive Director Dr. Michael Simpson.

Publications

November 1, 2013

SWF Releases an Updated Version of Space Sustainability - A Practical Guide

SWF has released an updated version of "Space Sustainability - A Practical Guide." The booklet presents an overview of the space sustainability issue including definitions, why it is important, and some of the major challenges to sustainability.

Presentations

November 17-20, 2013

Brian Weeden Participates in the World Economic Forum's 2013 Summit on the Global Agenda

The World Economic Forum (WEF) held the 6th annual Summit on the Global Agenda in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from November 17-20, 2013. The Summit brought together 1,000 experts from around the world to brainstorm solutions to the most pressing global issues.

SWF Technical Adviser Brian Weeden participated as Vice-Chair of the Space Security Council, one of 88 Global Agenda Councils formed by the WEF across a wide range of issues, risks, and regions. Joining Brian on the Space Security Council were SWF Advisory Committee members Dr. Kazuto Suzuki and Ambassador Ciro Arévalo Yepes.

 

November 19-22, 2013

SWF Participates in Workshop on the Use of Space Science and Technology for the Prevention of and Response to Disasters in Mesoamerica

SWF participated in a workshop focused on how to make better use of Earth observations data and software to mitigate and respond to destructive flooding, held in Chiapas, Mexico. Sponsored by the Mesoamerican Center for Theoretical Physics (MCTP) on the campus of the Autonomous University of Chiapas in the capital of the State of Chiapas, the four-day workshop held November 19-22, 2013 emphasized the availability of free data sources, free, open-source software, and sources of free online and in-situ training courses. Policies on data distribution and use and the employment of social media in crowdsourcing and community remote sensing methodologies were also presented. Further, the Director General of the Chiapas Institute of Civil Protection made a presentation on the Chiapas integrated strategy.

 

November 25-29, 2013

Natassa Antoniou Participates in the UN SPIDER Technology Advisory Mission to Ghana

UN SPIDER conducted a Technical Advisory Mission (TAM) to Ghana from November 25-29, 2013. Upon the invitation of the Government of Ghana/National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), a diverse mission team of ten experts from the disaster management and space technology community, UN organizations, academia, and meteorology experts visited Ghana. Project Manager Natassa Antoniou participated in the TAM and also gave a presentation on "SWF Activities - Improving the use of Space Systems for Human Benefits/Disasters."