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1 Follow US on International News Astronautical Federation Connecting Space People September news: Reports from IAC 2013 Beijing PLENARY 1: Heads of Space Agencies Dr Ma said final preparations were now underway to launch the country s first Moon rover by the end of this year. Chang e 3 will be China s most ambitious lunar mission yet and, if successful, it will mark the first time China lands a spacecraft on another celestial body. The mission, the second phase of China s lunar programme, will also see a rover deployed on the surface, a move which forms part of China s long term plans to send astronauts on a lunar landing mission. The Heads of Agencies gather onstage in Beijing, Monday 23 September 2013 The leaders of the world s top space agencies agreed at the 64 th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Beijing on Monday 23 September that cooperation is a key to the success of large-scale space projects. The United States, Russia, China, Japan, Europe and Canada all provided an overview of their current programmes as well as an insight into future plans and potential international cooperation opportunities. Speaking before an audience of around 2,000 delegates, Dr Ma Xingrui, the Administrator of China National Space Administration (CNSA), said that in the past 12 months China had launched 15 different space missions, including the Shenzhou 10 crewed flight. He stated that the Chinese government continued to see space development as an important part of the country s long term future. Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator, urged delegates to seriously consider the growing need for international cooperation on missions that would reach deeper into space. He said NASA remained committed to the International Space Station (ISS) until at least 2020, and was focussed on deep space exploration and developing private enterprise. Mr Bolden said one of the biggest challenges faced by NASA was inspiring the nation so that ultimately the US Congress would approve the ambitious space programme budget. In Europe, Poland has become ESA s newest Member State and Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General of ESA, likened cooperation among the 20 member countries as a routine part of daily work. It is not always easy but it is very successful, he said. A key decision taken by ESA in the past year is to provide the Service Module for the NASA s Orion spacecraft, which Mr Dordain described as a break-through in cooperation. This is the first time we are contributing to a space transportation system for NASA, he said. Mr Dordain said an ESA priority was the deliver competitiveness in launchers and stressed that it was important to achieve a balance between success and innovation. Sergei Saveleiv, Deputy Head of the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), said his country would gradually replace To unsubscribe, please send an to newsletter@iafastro.org International Astronautical Federation 94bis, avenue de Suffren, Paris, France - Tel newsletter@iafastro.org

2 the Glonass satellite navigation system of 29 spacecraft with a new generation of spacecraft with longer orbital life cycles. Construction of a new Russian launch site at Vostochny in eastern Siberia, near the Chinese border, is on-going with a first launch planned in The new cosmodrome will enable Russia to launch most missions from its own soil and at the same time is designed to reduce Russia s dependency on the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazahkstan. PLENARY 2: The development and prospects of China s space activities Listing a number of collaborative ventures with Europe, including future missions to Mars and possibly Jupiter, Mr Saveleiv said international cooperation would remain a priority for Russia. Walter Natynczyk, the recently appointed President of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), told delegates that the Canadian Government had committed to developing the next generation Radarsat constellation. He said Canada was proud that its astronaut Chris Hadfield had been the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station (ISS), saying that for the public at large he had brought space into homes and made it real for everyone. Mr Natynczyk said transformation was the current Canadian buzz word after the Government decided to refresh our programme and set new priorities. S Ramakrishnan, Director of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), described the past year as an exciting one for the Indian space programme with the launch of four satellites, including the first Indian navigation spacecraft in July. He said the country was planning to launch a Mars orbiter mission in October with arrival at the red planet scheduled for September next year and that ensuring the PSLV was fully operational would also be a key challenge. Naoki Okumura, President of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), said a Japanese astronaut would become the first Asian commander of the ISS during a six month mission starting in November. Asked about key challenges faced by the agencies in the coming 12 months, Mr Okumura said JAXA would be focussing on development of a new launcher that is planned for a first mission in Hu Yafeng, Deputy Administrator CNSA Chinese space leaders maximised the opportunity on the opening day of a major international space gathering on their own territory to promote the remarkable progress that their country s space activities have made in the past few years. A series of top level speakers introduced delegates at the 64 th International Astronautical Congress (IAF) in Beijing on 23 September to developments in major space projects covering human spaceflight, lunar exploration, space technology and transportation, space applications and space science. They presented and discussed China s plans for a new generation of launch vehicles, human spaceflight programme, a second imminent phase of lunar exploration, global satellite navigation and high resolution Earth observation systems. The speakers also expressed a desire to see the development of fully fledged international cooperation, leading to a more coordinated and sustainable global space industry that would benefit everyone. Mr Berndt Feuerbacher, past-president of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), said that during the four years in the post he had ample opportunity to interact with the emerging space power. He told delegates that China is a very reliable partner in space and he hoped the IAC 2013 conference would lead to strengthening relations with other countries around the world. Mr Xu Daze, Chairman of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), provided an overview of China s eye-catching achievements since the launch in 1970 of the country s first self-made satellite. Page 2

3 CASC is a leading player involved in manned, lunar exploration, the Beidou navigation system and high resolution Earth observation, as well as carrying out research in new generation of deep space spacecraft and technology. With the morning s successful launch of Fengyun 3C aboard a Long March 4C rocket from the Taiyuan launch base in northern China s Shanxi province, he said China had now launched a total of 232 satellites and has 105 in current operational orbits. The new weather satellite is orbiting over Earth s poles on a three year mission to provide Chinese meteorological authorities with imagery and data for incorporation into weather forecasts. Commenting on the Chang e 3, China s most ambitious lunar mission yet due for launch in December, Mr Xu said that as well as a lunar rover the misson would also carry a small re-entry module to return samples to Earth. Mr Hu Yafeng, Deputy Administrator of China National Space Administration, said major scientific and technological programmes would continue to be implemented alongside an acceleration in the construction of essential space infrastructure elements in remote sensing, communications, navigation and broadcast. Emphasising the growing importance of international cooperation, he said China has signed 71 cooperation agreement and memoranda with space organisations in different parts of the world. In 1988 Brasil was one of the first countries to establish a partnership with China to pursue joint space activities and Mr Jose Coelha, President of the Brazilian Space Agency, was also a guest on the panel. With the advantages of both aircraft and spacecraft, it would have serious commercial prospects, he said. It is very challenging but really worth trying. Mr Wang Zhaoyao, Director of the China Manned Space Agency, said human spaceflight embodied the great spirit of mankind to explore. China s break-through in this realm came in October 2003 when the first Chinese astronaut launched on Shenzhou 5 and orbited Earth 11 times. We have now entered a new phase - the construction of a space station which started in September 2010 and in the past three years much progress has been made, he added. Emphasising international cooperation, Mr Wang said that during operation and construction of space station China would continue to share the latest progress with all counties. Mr Berndt Feuerbacher, past-president of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), described his experiences of working with the Chinese. China is a very reliable partner in space and I hope this conference will help strengthen relations and understanding with other countries around the world, he said. PLENARY 3: Heads of Industry & the Next Generation: Next destinations for human spaceflight Space cooperation in the 21st century is a very powerful mechanism that should be used to strengthen and develop relationships between our countries, he said Since the turn of the century we have been committed to living in new stages of partnership to collectively face and overcome regional and global challenges. Instead of solitary satellite systems we should be building up single and common satellite systems, he added. Now is the time to pull things together, launching a new moment in the space age and a new chapter in human history. Mr Gao Hongwei, Chairman of China Aerospace Science & Industry Corporation, spoke about the prospects of space technology from CASC perspective and the future possibility of a re-usable space transportation system. Check for more news on our Social Media Page 3

4 The true spirit of collaboration between one generation and the next was ably demonstrated during the Plenary 3 session at the 64 th International Astronautical Congress (Tuesday, 24 September 2013) in Beijing. Current industry leaders shared their real-life experiences of working in the space industry with the vision of some of those who will lead the next generation s space programmes. William Gerstenmaier, NASA Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations, introduced the panel by saying that students would share their views on the fun stuff while industry leaders talked about political and budgetary implications. The three students were all winners of a worldwide online competition in which they had submitted a short video talking about their favoured idea for the direction of future space exploration. Industry panellist Fritz Merckie, of Germany-based OHB Systems AG, told delegates and the students that much of the innovation for themes of the future came from small companies like OHB. Smaller companies have a challenging and important role - I am not convinced that in the future the big programmes have to be done only by the big companies, he stated. We are very much alined to European programmes where it is a complex procedure to launch new programmes. This is a critical issue going forward because political timelines usually based on election periods of five years, whereas when we talk about space exploration the timescales are normally so much longer. He felt it important that new technology is pursued for future deep space missions that might involve humans journeying beyond the Moon. Two big problems for humans travelling in space are radiation and consumables, he said. The longer the journey the bigger these problems are so I believe one solution is to look at developing new forms of propulsion to make mission durations shorter. Gao Ruofei, Vice-President of the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), offered a snapshot introduction to his company which focuses on two key business sectors - commercial launch services and satellite export. CGWIC entered the launch services market in 1990 and has conducted 37 launches for international customers, as well as exporting telecom satellites and and one remote sensing spacecraft. He said that international cooperation on a much broader scale was the way forward and would be of mutual benefit to everyone. Mr Gao explained that, in his view, launch technologies will always be important because of the requirement to leave Earth orbit before embarking on any kind of deep space exploration. Paraphrasing John F Kennedy s famous words, he said that returning safely to Earth should always be the emphasis of any human mission. Mr Gao suggested that one option for future large-scale projects would be for private companies and states to be more involved in cooperating together from the outset. Each of the three students on the panel - Jonathan Lun, Guillaume Tanier and Suzanne Gordon - were introduced to delegates by way of their prize-wining videos before having the opportunity to explain in person their vision for the future. Mr Lun, a student in South Africa, felt that the main thrust should be exploration of asteroids because this could deliver a range of benefits to humankind. Asteroids are a potential threat to life on Earth so by expanding our knowledge of them through both robotic and human missions we can learn how to protect ourselves, he said. At the same time we can turn this into an opportunity because many near Earth asteroids also contain vast amounts of resources, including water and minerals. Mr Lun suggested to delegates that exploration of asteroids might be a first step to protecting our own future in terms of resources, as well as physically protecting our planet. He proposed three main scientific reasons why humanity s next step should be to explore asteroids - because they are an historical record of the solar system, because they offer the possibility of finding microbial life inside, and to understand better their composition and how they behave in order to help prevent any future catastrophe on Earth. Mr Lun said the economic potential of asteroids could be immense if we are able to learn how to extract their resources and in turn this would provide a firm foundation for the long term exploration of deep space. Guillaume Tanier, a computer and software consultant in France, focused on Moon exploration and in particular exploring fissures that could hold many secrets about the early solar system because they have been protected for millennia from dust and radiation. He said they would be relatively easy to access and a first step would be to find a suitable location using an orbital mission. Suzanne Gordon, a student in Earth and planetary science at the University of New Mexico and also working on a Curiosity science experiment, suggested that Mars should be a prime focus of future human exploration. We are still in the dark about a lot of things on Mars and astronauts working on the surface could accomplish so much more, she stated. Miss Gordon suggested that the Valles Marineris area - a giant canyon system extending 5,000 km across the Martian surface - should be a prime landing target because it may hold the key to past and any present life on Mars. Page 4

5 She had no doubt that robotic missions have provided excellent good data but suggested that the benefits of humans on surface would outweigh the significant technical challenges of such a mission. Astronauts working out in field could act on things right away whereas robotic missions are unable by their nature to respond in real time. PLENARY 4: Women in space - a 50-year Success Story Mazlan Othman, Director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (NOOSA), opened the meeting by saying the role of women in spaceflight was not as commonplace as might be thought because statistics showed only 10 percent of all astronauts have been women. Though not an astronaut herself, Mrs Othman was responsible for setting up the Malaysian Space Agency, which in turn led to the country s first astronaut in October 2007 when Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor visted the International Space Station (ISS). She apologised on behalf of Tereshkova who, as a member of the Russian Parliament had been unable to attend due to government business. Dr Igor Sorokin was the brave man to stand in the shoes of Tereshkova and make a short pictorial presentation on behalf of one of Russia s most famous female figures. I am disappointed more than all that she couldn t come but she is now a politician and busy in Russian parliament. No one here can replace her - not even myself, he joked. Tereshkova s flight was part of a space race at the time between Russia and the United States and Dr Sorokin quoted the words and thoughts of the cosmonaut as she recalled the experience of her historic spaceflight. Liu Yang, the first Chinese woman in space on 16 June 2012 when she served as a crew member on the Shenzhou 9 space mission, received warm applause when she took to the stage. Speaking through an interpreter she explained that she had been a military pilot in 2003 when the first Chinese astronaut was launched into space and at the time had never contemplated going into space herself. Taikonaut Wang Yaping It was standing room only as more than 1000 delegates crowded in to the hugely popular Women in Space Plenary at the 64 th International Astronautical Congress IAC) in Beijing, (Tuesday 24 September 2013). They were there to hear Chinese taikonauts Liu Yang and Wang Yaping alongside Chiaki Mukai, Japan s first female astronaut, and NASA s Sandy Magnus, veteran of a four-and-a-half month stint on the International Space Station (ISS) and member of the very last Space Shuttle crew. The organisers had also planned for the attendance of Valentina Tereshkova, the Russian cosmonaut who became the first ever women to fly in space 50 years ago. The most amazing thing is the miracle of turning dreams into reality and after two years of training I was lucky enough to be able to fly into space on China s first manual rendezvous and docking mission, she said. In the space environment everything seems to take on a life of its own. Liu Yang described the experience of micro gravity as like a bird flying in the sky and like a fish swimming in the water with normal emotions amplified. She said her over-riding impression of viewing Earth from orbit was a poignant reminder that there is only one world and only one home which we must all protect and look after. Wang Yangping was the second female astronaut to be named by the Chinese authorities and the second Chinese woman in space on Shenzhou 10 in June She told delegates that her mission in orbit had lasted 15 days and 15 hours in orbit, and that she believed having female Page 5

6 members of space crews made missions more harmonious. Spaceflight is certainly not an ordinary experience and I was deeply shocked by the view of a beautiful Earth, she said. During her mission Wang Yaping conducted a 40 minute lesson from space for school children and students across China. She showed film footage of her crew demonstrating experiments from the Chinese space station along with pictures of the students back on Earth. It was truly inspirational and on returning to Earth I received many letters from children who had been inspired by their unique lesson from space, she said. It was then the turn of Chiaki Mukai, of the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA), who was the first Japanese woman in space and the first Japanese citizen to undertake two spaceflights. Both were US Space Shuttle missions, the first on STS-65 aboard Columbia in July 1994, a Spacelab mission, and the second on STS-95 aboard Discovery in In total she has spent 23 days in space. Showing a video of the final Space Shuttle mission, she said: We consider it a responsibility and a pleasure to talk about our time in space. We live in very interesting times because more and more people will have access to space. Currently Italian and Russian women training for missions to the Space Station. She suggested that ultimately the more people who have the opportunity to experience the amazing space environment the better because it gives a completely different appreciation of our planet. Since Tereshkova s historic flight in June 1963 some 56 women from nine countries have flown once or several times in space, representing more than 10 percent of the global astronaut corps. Plenary 5: Space-borne Observations in Support of Water and Food securit Mrs Mukai told delegates that she did not have a childhood dream of travelling into space because at that time there was no Japanese space programme. I was 11 years old when Valentina Tereshkova flew into space. It was very exciting but this was something happening completely outside of my world, she explained. Years later in 1985 she came across article advertising the recruitment of Japanese astronauts and was successful in her application. We are now living in an era of using and exploiting the space environment and realising the value of our precious space resources, she said. As we are now in the second half-century of human space exploration I believe that we will continue to bring the benefits of space back to life on Earth. Sandra Magnus, Executive Director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), served as Flight Engineer onboard the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Expedition 18, having flown into orbit on STS-126 in November 2008 and returning on STS-119 in March 2009 after logging 133 days in orbit. Magnus also flew into the history books as a member of the final Space Shuttle crew on mission STS-135 in July She told delegates that it was 15 years after Tereshkova s flight that the first US woman flew in space and what brought about the change was the operation of the Space Shuttle. Now some about 45 women from the US have flown on the Shuttle and there have been two female Shuttle commanders, two ISS commanders, as well as female spacewalkers, flight directors and mission controllers. Massimo Menenti, European Space Agency The role of space-based satellite observations in helping society solve one of the most fundamental problems it faces today was addressed at the 64 th International Astronautical Congress (Wednesday, 25 September 2013) in Beijing. Delegates attending Plenary 5 heard that climate change now concerns an ever larger proportion of Earth s inhabitants, impacting daily life through problems such as the shortage of water, food and other threats to health and well-being. Page 6

7 Space scientists have been tackling the challenge of understanding climate change trends and supporting efforts towards adaptation and mitigation using space-based and ground-based observation in conjunction with Earth simulation models. The Plenary, entitled Space-borne observations of droughts and floods and their impact on water and food security, addressed the role of space applications in monitoring the causes, extent and socio-economic impacts of desertification and drought. It also looked at which space-based Earth observation missions will improve the monitoring of these critical parameters to understand, for example, the growth of deserts and the types of data that will be of the greatest use in modeling desertification. James Graf, Deputy Director for Earth Science and Technology at the Jet Prolusion Laboratory (JPL), provided an overview the extent and the socio- economic effects of droughts and floods. Water is vital everywhere for life and it is the lack of water and drought that is affecting large parts of the world, he said. Today, in China about 20 percent of its land mass is drought impacted. Dr Graf explained that it was impossible to discuss drought without talking about the water cycle and many of space agencies are now putting up spacecraft that are looking at different elements of this. He said it was important not to lose sight of what such data really means to the man or woman in the street - the bottom line being what the impacts on crops and food security are. Dr Wu Bingfang, Head of Digital Agriculture in the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, told delegates that China was well aware that its population was increasing dramatically which means a bigger demand on food production and natural resources. Droughts have increased significantly in China over the last 60 years and are a serious natural hazard when measured in terms of the number of people affected, he said. The Crop Watch project was started in China in 1998 and covers 31 main crop producing countries accounting for 85 percent of global production to help with the prediction and protection of crops. Using information from multiple sources we can estimate, for example, global grain supply which in turn can help with developing crop management policies. He said this had led directly in March 2004 to the Chinese government introducing a new policy in agricultural sector which has increased early rice production by over 20 percent. Dr Masanori Homma, Executive Director of JAXA, spoke about the importance of space-borne monitoring in the context of global climate change which is seriously affecting water cycles and causing more frequent droughts and floods across the world. He said that space-borne observations were helping to develop a countermeasure strategy. The nature of these issues means that international cooperation is important and JAXA is very proud to have operated the TRMM mission with the US for 16 years, he said. Rainfall is monitored by three sensors and by summarising data from this satellite we quantify global rainfall. He said the GSMaP (Global satellite Mapping of Precipitation) global rainfall map, updated every hour using data from polar orbiting microwave radiometer/sounders and geostationary located infrared radiometers, was now freely available on the internet and showed movement of rainfall area and intensity. Dr Homma said the Japanese Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite will be launched in 2014 to improve the accuracy of weather forecasts which will also support water resource management. The spacecraft will measure not only rainfall but also snowfall which is the reason that it has two types of onboard radar, he said. Dr Massimo Menenti, of ESA, said that in discussing the water cycle it was important to look at water management as opposed to monitoring demand or requirement. The problem is that in many parts of the world demand for water largely over rides natural cycle, he stated. What you see from current data and regional climate scenarios are changes in regional distribution of precipitation - the decision and ways water is managed can change the incidence of drought. Dr Meneti explained that although satellite data is used in different ways, high resolution data is being increasingly used worldwide to provide information on water use - but the focus is on use rather than availability. Global data from satellites is used for global analysis but my argument is that we need something in between the two - important decisions also need to be taken on water availability at the point of use. Once this loop is complete we will end up in a situation where global models are much better linked to water usage, he said. Page 7

8 Plenary 6: Space Solar Power Global Progress and Global Opportunity Three or four satellites could deliver power to almost 90 percent of humanity almost continuously - this is the massive vision of SSP, said Dr Mankins, whose new book The Case for Space Solar Power is about to be published. He added that SSP should be seen in the context of the enormous growth of global power demands in recent years coupled with the gradual depletion of fossil fuels and resultant price increases, alongside the almost complete consensus of human induced climate change. All this means three will be a tremendous need in the world for new power sources, he said. Dr John C Mankins, Artemis Innovation, and Dr GE Chang-Chun, China Academy of Sciences Plenary 6 at the 64th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Beijing brought together international leaders and proponents for SSP on Thursday 26 September. SSP has the potential to allow is to harvest solar energy from platforms in near space and wirelessly deliver the resulting power to Earth. Although past research failed to result in any major international effort to develop and demonstrate this novel technology there have been a number of accomplishments during recent years in SSP studies and technology developments. As a result, SSP continues to be an exciting and promising - albeit sometimes controversial - vision for the future. The Plenary included a presentation of the recently completed International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) First International Assessment of Space Solar Power and reviewed the recent progress in the US, Europe, Japan and China. John Mankins, formerly NASA lead for Space Solar Power Research & Development, opened the Plenary by saying it was appropriate to be discussing SSP at this Congress because it fitted well with the theme of IAC, Promoting Space Development for the Benefit of Mankind. Describing the essence of a SSP system, he said it involved deploying in space a large solar platform to covert almost continuous sunlight into electricity and then convert this to microwaves to send to locations on Earth. The reason this appealing is because such a platform can receive power almost continuously and transmit it to a wide variety of locations on Earth at different times, he explained. Dr Chang-Chun Ge, of the China Academy of Science, spoke on need for new energy and the opportunities being pursued in China. The energy programme for China is much more serious than in other countries because the consumption per capita in our country is rising very fast, he said. In the year 2000, the United States was the leader in global energy consumption but China is now the global leader in energy use and energy demand is expected to continue upwards. Dr Ge said two kinds of energy might offer a final solution to the world s energy crisis - nuclear fusion or SSP generated energy. The latter is much easier to realise than nuclear fusion and from the beginning of this century I have proposed several possibilities to our government in China, he said. He explained a three stage development process for design and key technology research; for low Earth orbit demonstrations flights; and a launch demonstration system. SSP is the only real sustainable green source for energy in the future - and it will lead to new technological revolution for humankind, he predicted. Isabelle Duvaux-Bechan, Head of ESA s Future Preparation & Strategic Studies Office, ESA, told delegates that the European agency was already involved in studies of solar power systems from space. Results for ESA validation phase show that SPS is technically feasible and that energy payback would be of the order of several months to 1.5, a slightly faster time in this respect than terrestrial systems. In terms of economic comparison to terrestrial alternatives she said that the higher the power level the more competitive the space system. She said that initial analysis had been performed to better compare and combine space and terrestrial solar power plants. The concept is promising but not yet mature enough for large scale industrial development but would be suitable for international cooperation and innovative approaches. Mrs Page 8

9 Duvaux-Bechan also spoke about the legal aspects of SSP in both development and operation, and said that it was also important to get the energy sector involved at the outset. The sooner the energy and space sectors learn to work together the better it will be for the next steps, as these sectors have few links traditionally, she said. Nobuyuki Kaya, Vice-President of Kobe University in Japan, told delegates that besides the cost of implementing such a system, SSP introduces several hurdles, primarily the problem of transmitting energy from orbit to Earth s surface. We believe the beam control system of the microwave is one of the most important and critical issues to realise the SPS, he said. The retro-directive antenna is a very promising technology. Plenary 7: The Role of International Innovation in Accelerating Future Human Space Exploration there is no up or down, in Earth orbit there are 16 sunrises and sunsets in a day, and you have to go faster to go slower. Because there are things that are just different, living and working in space always requires innovation. Jean-Claude Piedboeuf, Director General of Space Exploration at Canadian Space Agency (CSA), started by expressing his Government s view that science and technology is not a means to an end on its own, but a means by which sustainable development can be pursued. It is no longer enough for countries to support science and technology only from a national perspective - exploration is innovation and increasingly can t be done alone, he said. Mr Piedboeuf described human spaceflight as always trying new things by its very nature and as such acts as a catalyst for a range of new technologies. National policies and directives should be conducive to data sharing because innovation is not just about finding something new but is about finding something new and something useful to do with it. He told delegates that Earth-based solutions often did not meet the needs of space operations and finding solutions that work in space may spur out-of-the-box thinking that could go on to translate into new ways of doing things on Earth. Jan-Dietrich Woerner, German Aerospace Centre (DLR) chairman, suggested that the most important question for scientists to ask is why are we doing it? This is not only for us in the space community but to convince citizens and politicians, who have to give us the money, that our proposals are worthwhile, he explained. Jean-Claude Piedboeuf, Director-General of Space Exploration at CSA Delegates attending Plenary 7 at the 64th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Beijing (Thursday, 26 September 2013) heard how the international human spaceflight community is developing new approaches to meet the challenges of future human space exploration through research and innovation. John Charles, Chief of the International Science Office for NASA s Human Research Programme, opened the presentations for The Role of International Innovations in Accelerating Future Human Space Exploration by saying that to be involved in space business requires highly competitive innovation. Human spaceflight is demanding, risky and expensive, he said. It is also often counterintuitive - you have weightlessness where For the future we should put the why? question right at the beginning where the challenge for any project or development is connected to the motivation behind it. We have to change the paradigm from post-justification to a very proactive solution-first approach, he said. Initially we should have some goals that we expect to happen - and we can report additional results afterwards. Mr Worner cited a number of examples from science and technology experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) as innovations that have subsequently been transferred to help life on Earth. Dr Bernhard Hunfenbach, representing ESA, agreed that research on the ISS - in areas such as developing countermeasures against muscle loss in the micro gravity environment - could translate into benefits for patients on the ground with certain degenerative diseases. Page 9

10 He said that when looking at future exploration like sending humans to Mars it was not just about the end result but how the development could be used for many innovations along the way. William Gerstenmaier, NASA s Associate Administrator Human Exploration and Operations, provided a number of examples of medical advances that have been spurred by the needs of having astronauts in space but have gone on to bring real benefits to medicine on Earth. He explained that ultrasound devices adapted for use in space were now being used back on Earth for a whole range of diagnosis that would not have previously been contemplated. Chiaki Mukai, a former NASA astronaut who flew on two Space Shuttle missions, told delegates that innovation is not only about creating new things but also modifying or changing existing systems or concepts. The driving force of space exploration has shifted from national pride to international collaboration and as a result programmes have become more beneficial to more people, she said. In the coming stages of exploration we need to take a more interdisciplinary approach to ensure that robotics and humans work more closely together. HIGHLIGHT LECTURE 1: Voyager s journey to interstellar space On August , the spacecraft was confirmed as the first man-made object to leave the solar system and move into interstellar space. Dr Stone, a well-known spokesman for the Voyager missions since their launch in 1972 and a Director of NASA s JPL between 1991 and 2001, recounted the story of Voyager 1 and its historic passage this summer into interstellar space. Voyager 1 departed Earth on 5 September 1977, a few days after its sister spacecraft, Voyager 2. The pair s primary objective was to survey the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune - a task they completed in Dr Stone briefly described the spacecraft, science payloads and 4.6m antenna with distinctive magnetometer boom. Designed in the 1960s, the Voyagers both have tiny computer systems compared to modern day standards A standard mobile phone currently has 240,000 times more memory than Voyager. Part of the longevity of the mission is down to the power system which he described as a simple robust power supply and the reason why Voyager 1 is still sending back signals 365 days a year. Voyager 1 has three radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) mounted on the boom and each contains 24 pressed plutonium-238 oxide spheres generating about 470 watts of electric power at the time of launch. The power output of the RTGs has declined over time (due to the 87.7 year half-life of the fuel and degradation of the thermocouples) but Prof Stone said it was expected the Voyager 1 RTGs would continue to its remaining operations until around Commenting on some of the science results, Dr Stone said that before Voyager the only known volcanoes in the solar system were on Earth. Time after time, no matter how smart we thought we were getting, we had surprises - a new view of the solar system emerged and we realised what a remarkable diversity of bodies there are in the solar system, he said. Our view of the solar system had been much too limited. Dr Edward C. Stone, CalTech Professor of Physics & Voyager Scientist Delegates at the 64th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Beijing, China, packed a special Highlight lecture session on Tuesday 24 September to hear first-hand from mission project scientist Dr Edward C. Stone about the epic journey of Voyager 1. He explained that leaving the Sun s heliosphere was part of the original objective. We had no real idea at the time of what this meant only hope because we didn t know how big it was or whether the spacecraft would last long enough. The data that finally convinced the mission team that Voyager had arrived in interstellar space came in the summer of this year when the team was able to confirm a sudden change in the density of charged particles in Voyager s vicinity. They were able to calculate that the moment of escape to have occurred on or about 25 August Page 10

11 Dr Stone explained the different stages of the heliosphere crossed by Voyager 1 on its outward journey - the termination shock (an area where particles from the Sun begin to slow and clash with matter from deep space); the helios heath (a vast, turbulent expanse where the solar wind piles up as it presses outward against interstellar matter); and the heliopause (the boundary between the solar wind and the interstellar wind, where the pressure of both are in balance). He estimated that there remains enough electrical power on Voyager 1 to power the spacecraft s remaining four instruments until then the team will progressively turn them off until the last one around Welcome to interstellar space, concluded Dr Stone. HIGHLIGHT LECTURE 2: China s BeiDou navigation satellite system Dr Ran provided a general introduction to the BeiDou system and its objectives before outlining its applications and associated international activities. The system essentially consists of two separate satellite constellations a more restricted test system that has been operating since 2000, and a full-scale global navigation system that is currently in the implementation stage. The first BeiDou system, officially called the BeiDou Satellite Navigation Experimental System and also known as BeiDou-1, comprised of just three satellites, allowing limited coverage and applications. The second generation of the system, officially called the BeiDou Satellite Navigation System (BDS) and also known as COMPASS or BeiDou-2, will be a fully-fledged global satellite navigation system consisting of 35 satellites. It became operational in China in December 2011, with currently 14 in-orbit satellites - five in geostationary orbit, five in intermediate geostationary orbit and four in low Earth orbit. The complete system will comprise the five geostationary orbit spacecraft and 30 in lower orbits, and it is planned to begin serving global customers upon final completion in The key technologies of BeiDou/GNSS and its fundamental products have achieved significant break-through, and now application verification has mainly been completed, reported Dr Ran. The reliability and sensitivity of the BeiDou/GPS dual-mode chips have been further improved and are now in large-scale production, he said. Sales of dual-mode chips independently developed by China are expected to exceed 1.5 million by the end of Dr Ran Chenqui, Director of the China Satellite Navigation Office The second Highlight Lecture of the 64th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Beijing focussed on the construction and development of China s BeiDou navigation satellite system. The speaker Dr Ran Chengqi, Director of the China Satellite Navigation Office, was introduced by Jim Zimmerman, a former President of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). He described the Congress in Beijing as an opportunity to learn first-hand about many aspects of China s space activities, one of the exciting aspects of which was the BeiDou GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) programme. Dr Ran said China has always upheld and adhered to the concept of BeiDou is of China and also of the world and that his country was willing to work with other nations, sharing the fruits of satellite navigation development, promoting multi-gnss compatibility and improving the efficiency of satellite navigation services. In the next 10 years four core satellite navigation services will co-exist and there will be more than 100 navigation satellites in orbit. Users will enjoy lower cost, higher precision, as well as more reliable and diversified services, he said. The BeiDou system will play an important global role and Dr Ran urged the international community to work together to create a shining development path for GNSS, improve resource sharing and international cooperation - creating a win-win result. Page 11

12 HIGHLIGHT LECTURE 3: Top 10 Research Results from the International Space Station How can we limit it to so few? international achievements and research achievements. We are now in the research stage and this is very important to our stakeholders - 69 countries have participated in ISS utilisation so far. In selecting a top 10, Dr Robinson said she took into account a variety of criteria: Scientific journal quality, comments and reviews by other scientists, cases where novel information was presented, and benefits to human - all of which she described as important considerations in terms of research legacy. Number 10 - Preventing loss of bone mass in space through diet and exercise; if astronauts carry out particular exercises, have the correct amount of vitamin D and calories in their diet, they return in good osteopathic health. Resistive exercise now helps with osteoporosis cases on Earth. Julie Robinson, SS Programme Scientist at NASA s Johnson Space Center Delegates at the 64th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Beijing, China, were treated to an inspiring presentation today (Thursday, 26 September 2013) for the third and final Highlight Lecture of the week. The Top 10 Research Results from Space Station - How can we limit it to few? was the theme of a talk by NASA s Dr Julie Robinson, International Space Station Program Scientist at the Johnson Space Center. Dr Robinson coordinates the International Space Station (ISS) science programme and is the author of ISS Benefits for Humanity, published by NASA in By way of an introduction, Dr Robinson provided an historical context to her top 10 selection by saying that the fundamental reason humans have always explored is not because we are motivated by the advancement of science; Early explorers travelled the world to exploit economic opportunities not to inspire their children about it, she said. Explorers are responsible for pushing the boundaries and the scientists follow behind. Dr Robinson described the ISS as the most complex machine ever built by humans and told delegates that it was easy to be uniformed about some of the great results coming from the Space Station. The Space Station is unique in that it supports almost every scientific discipline in some way, she explained. Ultimately it will be judged on its engineering achievements, Number 9 - Understanding the mechanism of osteoporosis and developing new drugs to treat it. The first new drugs for treating muscle wastage are now also on the market, drawing in part from research carried out on the ISS. Number 8 - Hyperspectral imaging for water quality in coastal bays. A gold standard, according to Dr Robinson, which also allows scientists to separate sediment from pollution on satellite imagery. Number 7 - Colloid self-assembly using electron fields for nanoparticles, which is impacting manufacturing processes on Earth. Number 6 - New process of cool flame combustion - an unexpected and novel result. In microgravity, flames burn differently forming flaming spheres that turn out to be wonderful mini-labs for combustion research. Unlike flames on Earth, which expand when they need more fuel, flame balls let the oxygen come to them. Number 5 - Pathway for bacterial pathogens to become virulent: Bacteria can become more powerful in space, so this helps with understanding and treatments and is an example of where a biological science can make a big jump by experimenting in a different environment. Number 4 - Educational outreach, with 43 million students and counting. Number 3 - Dark matter: The data gathered from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) is the most sophisticated detector of gamma cosmic rays that has ever been built. Number 2 - Robotic assistance for brain surgery - the technology that went into developing neuroarm, the world s first robot capable of performing surgery inside magnetic resonance machines, was inspired by the Canadarm. Number 1 Dr Robinson reported that Two years ago I wouldn t Page 12

13 have selected this one but as the story continues to evolve I am much more optimistic again. It is a new targeted method of chemotherapy drug delivery and medical trials are now underway. It involves a single step process forming tiny liquidfilled, biodegradable micro-balloons containing various drug solutions (a process called microgravity micro-encapsulation) that can provide better drug delivery for tumours. The benefits I have selected serve as examples of the Space Station s potential as a ground-breaking scientific research facility. The ISS advances the state of scientific knowledge of our planet, looking after our health, and providing a space platform that inspires and educates the science and technology leaders of tomorrow. These benefits will drive the legacy of the ISS as its research strengthens economies and enhances the quality of life here on Earth for all people. IAC 2013: A dynamic week of events at the IAF Global Networking Forum (GNF) working on increasing current launch capability of 10 tons to 25 tons with a baseline design of a new heavy lift launcher. On China s manned lunar plans, Dr Ma stated that China s planned heavy lift rocket would have a liquid oxygen/kerosene powered core stage and use the same combination for the boosters, with a payload of at least 100 metric tons to orbit. He said that, to date, China has developed three Long March launch vehicle series with 10 different versions capable of launching LEO, GEO and SSO spacecraft. It has conducted more than 160 launches and the safety, reliability and success rate of the Long March launch vehicle have reached world-class levels. Dr Ma added that China s basic space infrastructure has played an important role in various fields such as the economy, science, culture, education and national defence, with remarkable social and economic benefits. He reiterated that while China was in favour of international cooperation in space, it had not actually been invited to take part in the Global Exploration Roadmap. Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator, though limited by the US Government s official position, appeared to be in favour of China becoming an international partner - though he did not give a bottom line on whether the country should be part of Global Exploration Roadmap discussions. Prof. Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director General of ESA, admitted that international projects have room for improvement, and cited the ExoMars experience in which funding reductions were problematic as a project that could have been improved. Prof. Naoki Okumura, of Japan s JAXA agency, described his enthusiasm for international cooperation and noted his agency s plans to design a new launch vehicle to replace the H2 rocket series. A packed GNF waiting to hear the Heads of Agencies Press Conference, 23 September The variety of events taking place during the week at the highly popular and well attended Global Networking Forum (GNF) introduced for the first time last year started with the Heads of Agencies Press Conference on the first day of IAC Launch capability would be the main challenge for China, according to Dr Ma Xingrui, Administrator of China National Space Administration (CNSA), who said his country would be On the first day of the IAC the GNF then moved on to The Needs of the Asian market in terms of satellite operators and launchers, in the form of a round-table discussion with Donald Osborne, President of Satellite Systems MDA, Jean Max Puech, of Arianespace, Barry Matsumori, of SpaceX, Victor Nicolae, Starsem, and Gao Ruofei, of China Great Wall Industry Corporation, looking at the importance of developing the Asian market and the kind of challenges that lay ahead. Tuesday GNF events kicked off with a lively event on Working with Chinese Space Partners designed to give those attending a better idea of how to do business with China. Chinese space activities - covering commercial satellite applications, science and human spaceflight - have expanded rapidly in recent years, and this event was packed with delegates eager to learn more about how to make the most of working with Chinese space partners. Page 13

14 Dr Ruan Zongze, Vice-President of the China Institute of International Studies, introduced key speakers who addressed issues from their own perspectives between China and its foreign partners, as well as taking an overview of future opportunities. Dr Gerd Gruppe, head of DLR space administration in Germany, said Chinese-German cooperation could be part of the future, and described the Chinese as having an inspirational spirit of optimism when it came to space. The first GNF event on Wednesday was also hugely popular as it covered the subject of Space Medicine and Human Health. The speakers Jeffrey Sutton, Director of the Centre for Space Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Oleg Orlov, Deputy Director of the Institute of Biomedical Problems, Rupert Gerzer, Director of the Institute of Aerospace Medicine for DLR, and Li Yinghui, from the Space Medicine Unit at China s Astronaut Research and Training Centre addressed a number of topics that included discussing the prospects for future development of space life science and medical research. The development of space medicine is leading to new ways of approaching human health issues and study of the human anatomy, effectively producing a new set of guidelines and facts that will influence the way medical problems are treated. Delegates heard that the unique laboratory of space has been able to contribute to our understanding of the body and in the future will prove profound in a number of ways. Dr Sutton gave a brief perspective on what might be expected in By 2020 we will have had two decades of continuous experience of the International Space Station (ISS), he said. Dr Sutton added that space biomedical research was complex, difficult and expensive but the potential rewards were enormous and he urged those present to make a case for it. Thursday 26 at the GNF began with A series of dynamic and thought-provoking presentations on the topic of Near Earth Objects (NEOs) and their potential threat to life on Earth. On Thursday afternoon, The IAF Space Society Committee (SSC), together with World Space Week, organised an event within the GNF entitled How the public fell back in love with space. A lively debate upon the value of social media, tweetups, outreach and space education was joined by Jan Woerner from DLR, Andrea Jaime of the SGAC, Remco Timmermans from WSW and on video by Chris Hadfield, former astronaut. It was moderated by Scott Hatton, chair of the SSC. Other GNF sessions during the week included the Application and International Cooperation on Remote Sensing Satellites, which saw the participation of both Chinese and overseas remote sensing agencies to discuss the future application and international cooperation aspects of remote sensing satellite systems. A number of astronauts were also present at various GNF sessions, including former NASA and ISS Astronaut Sandra Magnus, for a special audience Q&A, and the Astronauts Outreach Event. This session included ESA s Christer Fuglesang, JAXA s Chiaki Mukai and Dorin Prunariu, a former Intercosmos astronaut. The final GNF session of the week was a workshop entitled Space Policy and Law in the Asia Pacific Region, an event created to promote cooperation among academic researchers through the exchange of information and opinions concerning space policies of the region. Speakers included Tanja Masson-Zwaan, President of the International Institute of Space Law, KR Sridhara Murthi, of Jain University, Motokko Uchitomo, of the University of Tokyo and Olga Volynskaya from Roscomos. LATE-BREAKING NEWS Friday 27 September 1. China outlines human spaceflight plans Introducing the session, Alex Karl, Operations Engineer at Space Applications Services, described planetary defence as the protection of Earth from asteroids or comets coming within 45 million km of earth. Professor Scott Hubbard of Stanford University introduced the Sentinel spacecraft, a space observatory currently being developed by Ball Aerospace for the private nonprofit philanthropic B612 Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to the protection of Earth from asteroid strikes and Sentinel is B612 s first spacecraft to begin to tangibly address that mission. Chinese taikonaut Haicheng Nie Page 14

15 The Late Breaking News session at the 64th International Astronautic Congress (IAC) in Beijing on Friday 27 September, covered both the latest developments in China s human spaceflight programme and the NASA LADEE mission to the Moon. Mrs Ping Wu, Deputy Director, of the China Manned Space Agency (CSA) said that through Tiangong-1, Shenzhou-8, -9 and -10 missions China has made significant technology breakthroughs and mastered key space rendezvous and docking technology objectives. She also presented further details in the planned Chinese space station which she confirmed was expected to be completed in To further demonstrate the capacity of the complex to support the crew s life, work and health, as well as the crew capability to carry out the flight. To research the crew adaptability to the space environment and their space operational efficiency, and conduct in-orbit maintenance tests and outreach activities. He said the flight had carried over 30 space medicine experiments and reported that the crew had adapted well to weightless environment, the longest duration orbital flight to date for China s manned programme. 2. NASA on way to Moon China will strengthen international exchange and cooperation in the development, operation and application of the space station, promote the development of the world space technology, and make contributions to the peaceful utilisation of outer space and the benefit of mankind, she stated. During construction of the space station, the astronauts will visit it intermittently and their mission duration will depend on flight requirements - they will conduct some EVAs to assist with space station construction and maintenance. Once complete, a crewed spacecraft is scheduled to visit the space station twice a year, and a cargo craft will provide resupplies once or twice a year. During the operational phase, the space station will be used for long-term man-tended work, with a nominal status of three crew members who would rotate every six months. When the space station is completed it will comprise a core module and two experiment modules, supported by the crew carrying and cargo spacecraft, the latter being expendable. The core module will be used to control and manage the space station, also providing support and free activity space for the crew. The two experiment modules will be used for space science and applications experiments. They will be docked to the forward axial port of the node module and then transferred to the side port by a robotic arm. Chinese astronaut Haicheng Nie, who has flown two missions - Shenzhou-6 in 2005 and the Tianginong 1/Shenzhou-10 in June 2013, spoke about the different phases of the Shenzhou 10 mission and outlined its key objectives To launch the Shenzhou spacecraft, providing crew and cargo transportation services for the Tiangong-1 target vehicle, and further demonstrating the function and performance of the space rendezvous and docking system, and the manned transportation system. Ramon de Paula, NASA Speaking in the second Late Breaking News session of the day, NASA s Ramon de Paula gave details about NASA s latest space mission - the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE). The spacecraft is a robotic mission that will orbit the Moon to gather detailed information about the lunar atmosphere, conditions near the surface and environmental influences on lunar dust. Dr de Paula said a thorough understanding of such characteristics will address some long-standing unknowns, and help scientists understand other planetary bodies as well. LADEE was launched on a Minotaur V rocket from the Wallops Island Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on 6 September During its nominal 100 day scientific mission, LADEE will orbit around the Moon s equator and use instruments aboard the spacecraft to study the lunar exosphere and dust. Its instruments include a dust detector, a neutral mass spectrometer and an ultraviolet-visible spectrometer, and it also carries a technology demonstration payload consisting of a laser communications terminal. Page 15

16 If we can understand what is happening on Moon we can understand more of what is happening on Earth, he told delegates. Dr de Paula said information gather by the lunar mission could also be extrapolated to asteroids and this knowledge would be very useful when planning human missions to asteroids. The closest body to Earth that has an exosphere that would have similarities with an asteroid is the Moon - and it still remains a mystery, he explained. It is very important science to understand this type of exosphere - and it will also help with understanding the planets Mercury and Venus. Dr de Paula added that understanding better what happens to lunar dust, which is highly charged and seems to get in all sorts of equipment, is also important for future Moon exploration expeditions. Why is dust so sticky and fine and what effect does it have on equipment are important questions to answer if we want to put new missions on the lunar surface, he said. In addition its science instruments, LADEE is also carrying a laser communications payload to test technology that will become increasingly important on future missions. The optical communication system - known as the Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD) - will use a laser to transmit and receive data as pulses of light. This method of communication has the potential to provide five times the data return of radio frequency communication and the technology on LADEE is a direct predecessor to NASA s Laser Communication Data Relay (LCDR) satellite due to launch in IAC Closing Ceremony: A Highly Rewarding Congress The 2013 IAC ended with a Closing Ceremony introduced by Sir Martin Sweeting, Executive Chairman of SSTL and Director of the Surrey Space Centre, and Chair of the IAF Honours and Awards Committee. Sir Martin said the Closing Ceremony marked the end of an intense and highly rewarding week, in which papers, posters, discoveries and ideas have been shared, and new connections forged. IAF President Mr Kiyoshi Higuchi described IAC 2013 as an amazing week, which had allowed delegates to dig deep into many areas of space science as well as enjoying the cultural diversity of the host nation, China. The handover of the IAC flag from Beijing to Toronto, ahead of the next IAC, 29 September 4 October 2014 The stats show 3,727 people attended the Congress from 74 countries around the world, and I am delighted that the IAC seems to be growing ever more popular, he said. The IAF has 273 member organisations from 64 countries and has seen a record number of new members this year. In all respects this has been one of the best ever IACs, and is a Congress to be remembered. Mr Yang Janhua, Secretary-General of the LOC (Local Organising Committee), extended his gratitude to all delegates and to the Chinese organising authorities. As well as setting new records, this year s Congress has also promoted the development of the Chinese space programme, and we hope that in the future space people from across the world will work together to promote space for the benefit of mankind, he stated. Before the central part of the Closing Ceremony - the presentation of Awards for various outstanding achievements and papers - Mr Higuchi recalled the first of two prestigious awards given at the Opening Ceremony - the IAF World Space Award, presented to Dr Edward C. Stone for his extraordinary legacy of achievement in space science exploration, experimentation and instrument development spanning the entire space age. It is truly an honour to have counted Dr Stone as one of our Congress attendees. I am you all found his highlight lecture on Tuesday as interesting and inspiring as I did, he said. The Allan D. Emil Memorial Award had been presented to Dr Ma Xingrui, Director of the China National Space Administration, for his outstanding contributions to academic research, space engineering management and international exchange and cooperation. Page 16

17 Professor Chris Welch, Chair of the Space Education and Outreach Programme Committee, then presented the first award of the afternoon, the Frank J. Malina Astronautics Medal, to Dr John M. Logsdon. The award honours the memory of a pioneer rocket engineer, and one of the founders of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), and is sponsored by the Aerojet General Corporation, of which Frank Malina was founder. It is for demonstrated excellence by an educator in promoting the study of Astronautics and related space science. Dr Logsdon received the award for his outstanding contributions to education, space policy decision-making, space history and policy analysis. He is the educator and inspiration of many individuals who have gone on to important policy, management, and analytical positions. The second award of Closing Ceremony honoured the memory of Luigi G. Napolitano, outstanding scientist and educator and former president of the IAF. It consists of a certificate and a medal donated by the Napolitano Family to a young scientist who contributed significantly to the advancement of aerospace science and gives a paper at the IAF Congress on such a contribution. Family representative Mr Raimondo Fortezza-Napolitano presented the award to Sreeja Nag, for her significant contribution in advanced research in multi-spectral Earth observation using nano-satellites. The Young Space Leader awards - given to those under the age of 35 who have made valuable contributions to astronautics through their work, reaching out to other young people and their communities to share knowledge and experiences, and contribute to IAF activities - were presented to Julio Aprea, Kimberley Clayfield, Kathleen Coderre, Jacob Sutherlun and Trong Thu Vu. In the Student awards (undergraduate) category, the first prize - the Association Aeronautique et Astronautique de France Gold award went to Mr Emilien Fabacher from SUPAERO for his paper Finding Multiple Sun-Earth Saddle-Point Flybys for LISA Pathfinder. The second prize of the Herman Oberth Silver award went to Ms Anja Schuster, of Technisches Universitet, Darmstadt, for her paper New Options for the Mercury Orbit Insertion of Bepicolombo. In the graduate category, first prize was awarded to Mr Florian Reichel, the University of Wuerzburg, for his paper Design Test and Verification of a Miniature Attitude Control System for the Picosatellite UWE-3. Second prize - the 3AF s Silver award - went to Mr Abhinav Bajpai, of the University of Surrey, for his paper End to end Monocular Simultaneous Localization and Mapping System for Planetary Rovers. The British Interplanetary Society (BIS) prize for best technical paper was awarded to Mr Mohammed Irfan Rashed, from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, for his paper Attitude Determination of Nano-Satellites Using Low- Cost, Quadrant Based Mems Sun Sensors for Creating Unique Sensor Fusion. The Hans von Muldau Team Award went to the team from to the Polytechnic University of Bucharest for their paper Investigation of the Surface Deformation and Dendritic Solidification of Titanium Alloy Melted in Miligravity. The final act of the Closing Ceremony was for Mr Kiyoshi to formally hand over the IAF Congress flag to Mr Ron Holdway, co-chair of IAC 2014, and Virendra Jha, Technical co-chair of IAC 2014, who were delighted to accept it on behalf of their Toronto LOC colleagues. The next newsletter will be issued in December 2013 Page 17