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“India has been impressive in applying space technology to development”

— PHOTO: G. Krishnaswamy

James Zimmerman: “We are an information-exchange organisation. We attempt to create and nurture opportunities for cooperation and information-exchange.”

“India is a world leader in using remote-sensing systems and technology for addressing basic problems associated with human development and food security. India has excelled in practical applications of space technology” and has been “a model to many other countries” said James V. Zimmerman, president, International Astronautical Federation (IAF). He is in Hyderabad to attend the 58th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), which has attracted 2,000 delegates from 45 countries. In an interview to The Hindu on September 21, he said, “I see India more and more, never sacrificing what it is doing on the space applications side, also focussing on the space exploration. It is a positive sign of a country that sees to use all aspects of space in an effective fashion.” Mr. Zimmerman was chief of NASA’s International Planning and Programmes Offices, and was responsible for negotiating NASA’s projects with space agencies in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. He was NASA’s representative in Europe at Paris from 1985 to 1997 and represented the U.S. Government’s interests in civil aerospace during this period. Mr. Zimmerman became the IAF president in 2004. Excerpts:

The IAF was founded by a number of space societies from around the world, including from the U.S, Europe, and other countries. The idea at that time was to promote greater interest in space and space cooperation. Those initial goals have not been, in a sense, fulfilled but they have served the Federation well. We have grown a great deal in the 56 years since we were created. We eventually have had more astronautical congresses [than the IAF’s age].

The Federation began just after the initial astronautical congress was held. But the Federation has grown tremendously over the years by attracting new members. Our first members were major space agencies and companies from around the world. We have now 175 members. We are growing in many areas of the world and we will continue to grow by attracting new companies and space agencies. Our focus is to promote space activities both in its utilisation and practical applications here on earth, to promote space exploration and the inspiration that goes with it. As we look into the future, we have a number of additional objectives. They include broadening our activities for the younger generation. We feel this is important because we are now 50 years into the space age. We are middle-aged. We are losing a whole generation of space pioneers.

One of the Federation’s objectives is to form a future generation of space professionals, who will be internationally savvy and have a global network on which to drive. As they plan space projects of the 21st and 22nd centuries, those young professionals will think naturally of an Indian working with an American or a European working with a person from China, and they will build a new dimension to space cooperation. Another objective is to fully preserve the history of space cooperation of each country which is active in space, including India. There are many historians who have worked hard in ensuring that the impressive space programme of India is well documented and photographed. This has happened in other countries as well. We have not been active globally in examining the history of space cooperation. In the case of India and the U.S., for example, it has been a successful cooperation, starting at the time of the moon landing. It goes back to the SITE [Satellite Instructional Television Experiment] programme, which used a satellite for broadcasting educational programmes.

Symphonie was another satellite built in Europe, which also provided telecommunication support. For the SITE project, it was a direct satellite which provided the broadcast to the villages in India. It was an excellent cooperative project that worked very well. It was the first demonstration of what ISRO is doing now on a regular, successful basis. In our Federation, we are anxious to gather professionals and their experiences together, and reflect a little bit on how and why they cooperated, what were the challenges and what their aspirations are because many of them were incredibly courageous, visionary individuals who were successful in cooperation. We can learn from these people who are passing from us. So one of the IAF’s goals is to create more history about those experiences and we have established a group of experts to advise us on projects we can do. Another dimension of what we can do is to transfer some of the enthusiasm and experiences directly from the pioneers of today to future pioneers. So we have a special activity where we bring experts of yesterday with young professionals and mentor them.

It is an excellent question. First of all, we are not doing enough. We are an information-exchange organisation. We attempt to create and nurture opportunities for cooperation and information-exchange. But you touched on a very important point which I take very seriously. The workshop we are attending today, the U.N.-IAF workshop on space technology for sustainable development towards food security, is an example of that. The workshop was started 17 years ago but we are constantly putting a new emphasis on it. This year’s workshop being held at the National Remote-Sensing Agency (NRSA), Hyderabad, is an excellent example because the team at the NRSA is impressive and it has received tremendous experience from the Regional Remote-Sensing Centres [in India].What we are trying to do in these workshops is to bring individuals who are keen on learning from those challenges and expose them to one another so that they could develop relationships to build a dialogue to help their countries to benefit from India’s experiences. India is a world leader in using remote-sensing systems and technology for addressing basic problems associated with human development and food security. The Indian experience is valid to other countries. I will not say India’s experience will apply directly in all cases. Each country has its unique way of applying and adapting space technology. India’s experience in applying space technology is impressive. I envision a closer coupling of what we do in the workshop and in the IAC because in the IAC we bring together a tremendous range of experts in the broader domain of space technology — not just remote-sensing and telecommunication but in all kinds of space activity such as space tourism. It is important to focus broadly and introduce people to these areas of space activity, for example, space exploration.

First of all, they are the roles of the Government. We are not involved in such activities. We try to provide a forum to space experts in all sectors and enable exchange of information. Hopefully, through those exchanges — if there are difficulties between Governments — those difficulties will be softened. The IAF has no role in those matters.

We do not take positions on topics that are rightfully the concerns of governments. We have a role as a non-governmental organisation. Governments have a role in advocating their interests and concerns. We keep them separate. But we work with governments. In my role as IAF president, I support all space-faring countries. I don’t take sides in their disputes.

That is up to the governments, not the IAF. We don’t attempt to do that. We can’t. But we provide opportunities for dialogue. So states with launch vehicles come to our meetings and talk to one another. We provide them opportunities to speak about their programmes and discuss their differences in public. We try to focus on areas of common concern. Of course, there are many differences on issues related to regulations and policies. Our challenge is to successfully launch objects into space, to use space technology to help human beings and inspire them. It is not easy. Space professionals in the U.S., India and Europe have their difficulties and challenges. But frankly, at the level of individuals like Dr. Suresh [Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram], we are all members of a very small and precious community.

As IAF president, I look at space activities in two broad sectors. One is using space for practical applications. That is where your colleagues in India have excelled in and have been a model to many others. Another area is using space technology to explore the universe and increase our knowledge. There is much discussion around the world on which is more important. I submit that both are important and we need to pursue both in an appropriate balance. I see that India’s focus is more heavily on the application side. But I see that India more and more, never sacrificing what it is doing in applications, focussing on space exploration also. It is a positive sign. It is a sign of a country that seeks to use all aspects of space in an effective fashion. Why the moon? Why the exploration? It [the fascination] has always been there. After the tragedy of the U.S. Columbia accident, which has a personal significance in India, the U.S. began to reflect what its role was in the human space programme. It had a successful and active human space programme. But the Government officials went back to thinking, ‘What is our objective? What are we really seeking to do?’ Within that programme, they settled on a long-term programme of exploration, of going out into other parts of the solar system but with a near-term objective of going back to the moon. That is the U.S. perspective. In Japan, India and China, there has been a great interest in the moon for a long time. Japan has planned a number of missions to the moon. They have just launched Selene [a probe to the moon]. China is actively engaged in a lunar exploration programme. Even India has chosen to develop Chandrayaan which will be launched next year. So the moon is not the province of any country. It is a collective effort. Mars is another destination of choice, of great interest.

Mars, unlike the moon, is another planet. It is not a satellite of our planet. Mars has a great deal of attractiveness, given its history and the conclusion of scientists that there is water on Mars, there was water and there may be water on it. There is a desire to understand whether there are life-forms there, and if there was life at one point of time, how it developed and in what form it continues to exist. There is likely to be some robotic, and in the future, human missions to Mars. How quickly that happens is a great challenge to space-faring countries. One of the great challenges is that none of them have enough resources to do all the things they want to do. So we must go gradually. In the domain of space exploration, international cooperation is an imperative and it will become more pronounced as we proceed. Already, in Chandrayaan, American payloads will fly.

In the case of Japanese missions also, there is cooperation. In the Mars mission, there is great cooperation. One of the great projects that a number of space-faring countries are interested in is to go to Mars and bring a sample back. It will be a tremendously expensive and complicated mission. It will be something that will be done before we send humans there. The challenges in a Mars sample-return mission are daunting.

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“India has been impressive in applying space technology to development”

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