UK Space Industry Survey 2012: Health and Effectiveness

The UK Space Agency has embarked on its biennial survey of the space industry and has contracted Oxford Economics to undertake the task.

The survey will cover the traditional providers of space technology (upstream) and those who exploit the technology (downstream).

However there are many companies whose business is partially or wholly dependent on space but who do not deal directly with space organisations or see themselves as part of the space industry. If you fit in this category, we are particularly keen to hear from you.

Download a letter (PDF, 36 Kb)  from David Williams, Chief Executive, UK Space Agency explaining the background and importance of the survey. To participate in the survey, please visit the Oxford Economics website.

You are invited to answer the survey online, but if you would prefer a hard copy version to complete and return by email or post, please inform Pete Collings, tel: 0207 803 1411.

If you wish to discuss your involvement with the UK Space Agency, please contact George Pritchard, on 01793 418 060.

Mercury vapour released from broken energy saving light bulbs can exceed safe exposure levels

Once broken, a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) or energy saving light bulbs continuously releases mercury vapour into the air for weeks to months, and the total amount can exceed safe human exposure levels in a poorly ventilated room, according to study results reported in Environmental Engineering Science, a peer-reviewed online only journal published monthly by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

The amount of liquid mercury (Hg) that leaches from a broken compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) is lower than the level allowed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), so CFLs are not considered hazardous waste.

However, Yadong Li and Li Jin, Jackson State University (Jackson, MS) report that the total amount of Hg vapour released from a broken CFL over time can be higher than the amount considered safe for human exposure.

They document their findings in the article "Environmental Release of Mercury from Broken Compact Fluorescent Lamps."

As people can readily inhale vapour-phase mercury, the authors suggest rapid removal of broken CFLs and adequate ventilation, as well as suitable packaging to minimize the risk of breakage of CFLs and to retain Hg vapour if they do break, thereby limiting human exposure.

Tests of eight different brands of CFLs and four different wattages revealed that Hg content varies significantly from brand to brand. To determine the amount of Hg released by a broken CFL, Li and Jin used standard procedures developed by the EPA to measure leaching of mercury in liquids and used an emission monitoring system to detect Hg vapour.

"This paper is a very nice holistic analysis of potential risks associated with mercury release from broken CFLs and points to potential human health threats that have not always been considered," according to Domenico Grasso, PhD, Editor-in-Chief and Vice President for Research, Dean of the Graduate College, University of Vermont (Burlington).

SANSA - South African National Space Agency launched

South Africa launched its space agency last Thursday on what has been described as a historic day for the country. Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor and experts from the space agencies of other countries Thursday attended the launch of the South African Space Agency (SANSA).


South Africa now joins a select group of countries that boast having a space agency, the state-run BuaNews agency reported. Outlining SANSA's role, the minister said it will implement a national space programme and advise her on the subject.

It will have the responsibility of acquiring, assimilating and distributing space data to various state entities.

Pandor said the national space strategy will promote research in the areas of astronomy, earth observation, communications, navigation and space physics. The strategy will foster international cooperation in space-related activities, and advance scientific, engineering and technological competencies through outreach programmes.

Emphasis would be placed on encouraging space science research and development, she added.

She said the space industry is a big business and went beyond just space travel. It is an industry with enormous potential future growth. Over the next five years, South Africa intends to develop a formal space programme.

'Our combined efforts at enhancing South Africa's space capabilities will not only be of immense value to the scientific community in the southern African region. It will also assist in addressing the persistent challenges of health care provision, water resources, agricultural mapping, and urban planning and communications,' she said.

She announced further plans aimed at strengthening the space sector, which included setting up a Centre of Competence in Optronics and Synthetic Aperture Radar.

Space science has contributed significantly in the sustainable development of the African continent and SANSA will help play a role in this regard, the minister added.

Chair of the SANSA board, Maurice Magugumela, said SANSA has ushered in a new era in the science and technology landscape in South Africa and the continent.

Pandor signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) relating to data access with the representatives of the Brazilian and Chinese governments.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO): Aim for 2 Astronauts in Space

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to send two astronauts to space within six to seven years, ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan said.

"ISRO plans to send two astronauts into space in six to seven years," he said after launching a mobile telemedicine unit at Muttom in Kanyakumari district.

He said India was among the leading countries in the world in space research, designing the most modern satellites in keeping with latest advances in technology

These satellites are very helpful in communication and distance, he said.

Radhakrishnan said the Nano satellites designed by students of Satyabama University, Chennai, would be installed in the PSLV rocket, to be launched in June or July.