Secure World Foundation Supports Launch of Space Security Index in Europe

The SSI is an annual report on trends and developments related to security and outer space. 

The goal of the Index is to improve transparency with respect to space activities and provide a common, comprehensive knowledge base to support the development of national and international policies that contribute to space security.

Secure World Foundation and the Mission of Canada to the European Union partnered to organize the 2011 Space Security Index Launch in Europe. 

The event was held November 3 in Brussels, Belgium, and was part of Secure World Foundation's Brussels Space Policy Round Table.

Last week's gathering convened leading authorities from Canada, the European Union, the European Space Agency, the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Directorate of the European External Action Service, as well as the European Satellite Operators Association and the Societe europeenne des satellites (SES).

The open discussion took place at the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Brussels.

"Space security is not a topic often discussed in Brussels, thus it was very pertinent to launch the 2011 Space Security Index here," said Agnieszka Lukaszczyk, Secure World Foundation (SWF) European Program Manager, moderator of the round table dialogue, assisted by SWF's Natassa Antoniou.

"Europe needs to be involved in the outer space security discussion and this event facilitated exactly that need," Lukaszczyk. She added that SWF will continue to engage European actors in the space security debate among a host of relevant outer space topics.

Sustainability of outer space
Discussions at the space policy round table focused on significant global activities within outer space, with a particular emphasis on Europe, driven by a number of important occurrences in the space sector. The event centered on the issuing of the 2011 Space Security Index (SSI).

"The Space Security Index has steadily grown in sophistication, and has become a trusted source of information on the activities that may have an impact on the sustainability of outer space," said Cesar Jaramillo, Program Officer, Space Security and Nuclear Disarmament for Project Ploughshares, headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Jaramillo said that the launching of the 2011 edition of the SSI in Brussels "is a testament to the active and relevant role that Europe is playing in current space security discussions."

YouTube Video - Earth Day: Give Earth a Hand

YouTube - Earth Day: Give Earth a Hand

Scottish scientists who reach for stars ‘are leading the world’

An image of the Flame Nebula that has given astronomers their most vivid picture of the star formation was offered up by the Scottish government yesterday as proof of the world-leading role maintained by the country’s scientists and researchers.

The photograph was taken by the Vista telescope at the European Southern Observatory, using technology designed and built at the UK Astronomy Technology Centre in Edinburgh. That contribution was symbolic of the global importance of the country’s research base, said Anne Glover, the Scottish government’s chief scientific adviser.

“In every area of science Scotland outperforms the world average; our performance is truly stunning for a nation of only five million people,” Professor Glover said. “This is a country full of potential for those in science, engineering and technology.”

Professor Glover was speaking at the presentation of a report that purports to demonstrate the continuing success of home-grown scientists and engineers by comparing rates of publication of academic studies, and by collating the numbers of citations achieved by Scottish researchers in articles published by their peers from other countries.

The 120-page document showed that in sciences as diverse as medicine, agriculture and biology, Scotland has achieved 1.8 per cent of the world’s academic citations, from a population share of less than 0.1 per cent. Scotland even led the field in space sciences, Professor Glover said, though more dogs than Scots have experienced space travel so far.

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