New space era to begin
Friday, 02 Nov 2007 16:52
The International Space Station has made it possible for many countries to take part in space research
Science In Focus
Click here for top tips on making environmental practices work for your business, on inthenews.co.uk. Full Story
Space exploration is set to enter a third stage where nations will aim to cooperate with each other rather than against each other, a leading academic claims.
Nicolas Peter, a research fellow at the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI), believes that the time when nations aimed to explore space for prestige is long past.
Speaking in Vienna at the Humans in Outer Space conference he said that the future of space exploration will be driven by the spirit of discovery.
He said the first phase lasted from Russia's launch of the Sputnik satellite 50 years ago to the early 1990s and was driven by Cold War rivalry between the US and former USSR.
The second stage, Mr Peter explained, has lasted till the present and is based on the scientific and practical applications of space.
He added that seeds have already been sown for more cooperation in the future; space agencies and bilateral agreements are growing and the International Space Station has made it possible for many countries to take part in long-term, structured programmes of space research.
"It will involve industry, universities and other non-governmental organisations," Mr Peter said.
"This adventure will be driven primarily by a quest for knowledge, involving not only the hard sciences but arts and humanities as well. We're evolving towards an open market situation where a lot of new actors will be able to join the new space race."