Scientists discuss access of poor countries to space technology – NE10

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. Photo: SpaceX / Handout

AFP

More than 120 scientists they began on Monday a meeting in Costa Rica to discuss the democratization of aerospace technology, to facilitate the access of this discipline to developing countries.

experts, many astronauts, defended the need for all countries, no matter how small, to have access to space technology, which has increased knowledge of agriculture and the oceans, improving weather forecasting and understanding phenomena such as climate change.

“for 30 years when we were in the room, we looked through a window and saw our blue planet. It seemed fragile, suspended in the middle of the space. We did not see political divisions or religious divisions, nor racial divisions. We are in this together, “said US Senator Bill Nelson, an astronaut who participated in the 1986 voyage of the space shuttle Columbia.

Nelson and the other members of the mission celebrated in Costa Rica the 30th anniversary of space travel, invited by Costa Rican Franklin Chang, a member of Columbia and event organizer. Chang noted that space technology is a 300 billion dollar market and growing at a rate of 5% per year, whereas there is room for small countries participate in this market. “Space is our future (and) must be shared together by all human beings, a future of cooperation and not confrontation, inclusion and not exclusion,” said Chang.

In this regard , the president of Costa Rica Luis Guillermo Solis said at the opening of the forum that his country has 110 companies related to the aerospace industry that generate 4,000 jobs. He recalled that the Central American countries work to build a satellite small that intend to launch in 2018 to monitor the forest cover of the isthmus.

“We have to worry about the space as much as we do for the our planet. At a time when many countries are at the forefront of space exploration, we must work together to ensure the responsible use and ensure sustainability for the benefit of mankind, “said Solis.

The Italian Simonetta Di Pippo, Director the UN office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), said that the Costa Rica forum will help to “raise awareness about the benefits of human space technology and its many applications.”