India To Hold Int'l Conference On Planetary Exploration

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is hosting twin international conferences on planetary exploration and space law in Bangalore, beginning today (June 27).

The two-day international conferences, being held for the first time in India, will be attended by about 225 delegates, including 75 from the United States, China, Japan, Canada, France, Malaysia,Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair will inaugurate the twin events. European Space Agency director R. Jean Jacques Dordain, International Institute of Space Law (IISL) President N. Jasentullyana and former International Academy of Astronauts (IAA)President Michael Yarymovych will address the delegates in the plenary sessions.

The meetings on "Advances in Planetary Exploration" and "Space Law on Bringing Space Benefits to the Asian Region" have been organized by the Astronautical Society of India (ASI) in association with the IAA and the IISL.

The conference on planetary exploration will address the scientific, technological and future perspectives by different nations.

The space law conference will take stock of the international scenario, with a special focus on the regional perspectives of national space policy, broadcasting, remote sensing and geographical information and disaster management.

"The international space law conference this year is the third in a series of regional space law conferences, initiated in 2001, by the IISL. These conferences bring space law and policy specialists on a common forum to discuss legal and policy issues pertaining to the regions," an ISRO statement said here Friday.

Advances in planetary sciences will be dealt with in regional workshops. Of special interest will be the unmanned moon mission (Chandrayaan-1), scheduled for launch in 2007-08 in association with the United States, China, Japan and Europe.

The sessions will cover the challenges and results of outreach to Mars, Jupiter, and extra-solar objects, the statement said.

The IAA, founded in 1960, has 1,200 members and is the world's premier professional body of space and astronautical experts. The academy focuses on exploring space research and the ongoing exploration of the solar system.

IISL, a premier body of legal experts, deals with issues related to space and articulates the perspectives of space activities and their legal implications through special space law meets. Enditem

Copyright 2005 by Space Daily, Distributed by United Press International