Mr. Chairman,
Argentina associates itself with the statement made by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on behalf of the States Parties of MERCOSUR and Associated States and will hence limit this intervention to highlight some concepts in its national capacity.
Argentina wishes to renew its full appreciation for the work of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), under the chairmanship of Mr. Yasushi Horikawa, whose initial presentation thanks.
As a founding member of COPUOS, Argentina maintains that outer space is the common heritage of humanity, must be used rationally, peaceful, collective benefit of present and future generations. In this regard, we reiterate that the potential application of space technology should benefit everyone. Hence the importance of universal access to spatial data.
Mr. Chairman,
We appreciate the report of the 56th session of COPUOS, held in June ( A/68/20 ) , which accounts for the activities carried out by the Commission , its subsidiary bodies and the Secretariat in 2013 . The report confirms the central role of the Commission as guardian of the use of outer space for peaceful purposes through its work on scientific, legal and technical, as well as through the promotion of international dialogue and exchange of information on exploration and use of outer space.
The Argentina is proud to have presided, in the person of. Secretary General of the National Commission on Space Activities of Argentina ( CONAE ), Mr. Felix Menicocci , the 50th meeting of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of COPUOS. During discussions identified three main activities related to the theme of "Near-Earth Objects" aimed at reducing the threat posed, namely:
(1) The detection and monitoring of dangerous asteroids and comets: it is an activity carried on by the space agencies of the United States of America, Russia and Europe, among others. Argentina also venture into this subject because, by CONAE, will be part of the International Science Watch (ISON) developed by the Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics (Kiam) of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
(2) The mitigation planning campaigns through diversion or disturbance of the object and civil protection activities, and
(3) The conduct of the campaign most appropriate mitigation, if necessary, by the institutions that could play an active role in this area.
The Subcommittee Subcommittee also prepared a series of recommendations to generate an international response to emergency admission to the atmosphere of a near-Earth object (NEO) , among which is included to generate awareness in the community regarding the potential threat of these objects , the generation of mitigation plans, contingency and civil protection and the proposed establishment of an International Asteroid Alert to incorporate the contributions of the various institutions of the world that are working on this issue . Another issue that was highlighted as a result of the discussion was the incorporation of COPUOS to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development Rio +20, to give advice on the use of spatial information in support of sustainable development.
Mr. Chairman,
It is with pride that my Delegation reminded, once again, the recent start SAC-D/Aquarius Argentine satellite orbit , the June 10, 2011 , from Vandenberg base in the United States of America. The SAC-D/Aquarius measure ocean salinity , which is the main objective of the mission , ocean winds , rainfall, presence of sea ice, sea surface temperature and land cover , soil moisture , high temperature events ( fires and volcanic activity) , nighttime light sources , air temperature and humidity , space environment and autonomous data collection from remote stations on land.
The mission falls within the framework of an international cooperation program between Argentina and the United States with contributions from Italy, Canada, France and Brazil.
We take this opportunity to recall that SAC-D/Aquarius satellite mission calls the 8th Scientific Meeting to be held from 12 to 14 November in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It will be a science team meeting SAC-D/Aquarius NASA and CONAE. It will focus on the status and health of the mission, scientific results, analysis of data, performance of the instruments, data processing , calibration, validation and evaluation of the scientific requirements of the mission. The agenda will be centered on the science team activities SAC-D/Aquarius.
On the other hand, Argentina is developing satellite mission SAOCOM Earth Observation consisting of the launching of two constellations ( SAOCOM SAOCOM 1 and 2), where the second series will have the relevant technological advances as a result of first . Each constellation comprises, in turn, by two satellites A and B, substantially similar , by the need to obtain adequate revisit.
The central objective of the satellites SAOCOM Earth Observation is the measurement of soil moisture and emergency applications, such as oil spill detection and monitoring in sea water coverage for floods. It is a project developed in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency (ASI).
The satellites of the constellation SAOCOM 1 presents under development to be launched from 2015, with an estimated useful life of at least five years for each satellite. Regarding the orbit, it is intended to obtain both global coverage and revisit each satellite 16 days, resulting in 8 days for the constellation.
We also welcome the recently opened by the Chairman of Argentina, the Test Centre for High Technology (CEATSA) to test satellites in Argentine territory, in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina.
Mr. Chairman,
It is clear that, for Argentina, international cooperation contributes to the objective of promoting the development of science and space technology and its applications, to promote the development of relevant and appropriate space capacity in the States concerned, and facilitation the exchange of knowledge and technology among States on a mutually acceptable basis.
Welcome in this context that, in 2012, it has been established in Buenos Aires the 13th Regional Support Office UN -SPIDER (Spatial Information Platform for Disaster Management and Emergency Response) for Latin America, at the headquarters of National Commission on Space Activities of Argentina (CONAE), following the signing of a memorandum to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).
The work of the Regional Support Office UN -SPIDER in Buenos Aires includes promoting development and strengthening of national capacities in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, providing horizontal cooperation and technical assistance to countries affected by emergencies, support for national capacity assessment reduction and disaster management and training in the use of satellite technology, through capacity building and institutional strengthening.
Mr. Chairman,
By holding that outer space should be used rationally for peaceful purposes for the benefit of all mankind and future generations, Argentina asserts that access to the use of outer space should be equal to the entire international community. For developing countries is not only technological development but a need for sustainable development for applications in areas of economic benefit, social and environmental. In this task, is of fundamental importance the full force of international law in all space activities , as well as international cooperation is an essential element that must be present in all space activity.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, I reiterate, once again , the strong commitment of Argentina with the work of the Commission and its subsidiary bodies for the dissemination of space science and the progressive development of space law.
Thank you very much.