Space Use and Ethics, Criteria for the Assessment of Future Space Projects
3-5 March 1999, Darmstadt, Germany

The Conference was at the Darmstadt University of Technology (TUD).
Speakers were as follows:

Organisers:

  • Interdisziplinaere Arbeitsgruppe Naturwissenschaft, Technik und Sicherheit (IANUS, Research Group Science, Technology and Security) at the Darmstadt University of Technology (TUD) in cooperation with:
  • Institut für Theologie und Sozialethik of the TUD,
  • NaturwissenschaftlerInnen-Initiative,
  • International Network of Engineers and Scientists Against Proliferation (INESAP),
  • Darmstaedter Friedensforum,
  • Friedens- und Begegnungsstaette Mutlangen,
  • Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space

Theme

In March 1997 IANUS and several other groups organised a conference on "The Ambivalence of Space Technology". The main themes discussed then were:

Space activities are increasing:

  • Who is doing what?
  • Who is watching?
  • Who sets the standards?
  • Who benefits?
  • What are the consequences?
The 1999 conference focussed on the ethical criteria for the assessment of space research and use. A major goal was to generate a critical dialogue between representatives of space organizations, science, military, industry and peace and ecological groups.

On the first evening, ethical criteria for space use and research were presented by professors of social ethics and physics.

On the second day, these criteria were used to assess several space projects:

  • use of nuclear power in space
  • remote sensing satellites (civil and military use)
  • manned space missions

On the second evening an open panel discussed the military control of space.

On the third day there was a discussion of the consequences of applying ethical criteria for space use.
Political recommendations, a catalogue of challenges, and the implementation possibilities were debated.

Contact: IANUS
Hochschulstrasse 10
D-64289 Darmstadt
Tel. [49] 6151/16-43 68
Fax [49] 6151/16-60 39
e-mail: IANUS@hrzpub.tu-darmstadt.de

SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

WEDNESDAY, 3.3.99
18:00 to 18:30 WELCOME ADDRESS - Conference organizers Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Bender (IANUS)
Stadtrat Dr. Ing. Johann-Dietrich Worner (President of Darmstadt University of Technology)

18:30 to 21:30

CRITERIA FOR SPACE RESEARCH AND USE
Convenor: Prof. Dr. Dirk Ipsen "Fascination Space - Vision and Reality" Dr. Juergen Scheffran (physics and mathematics, IANUS/Darmstadt University of Technology) "Peaceful and Sustainable Use of Space" Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Bender (Institut für Theologie und Sozialethik, IANUS/Darmstadt University of Technology)
Dr. Juergen Scheffran "On the Justifiability of Space Missions" Prof. Hartmut Sax (applied physics and systems technology, department for engineering science at the Fachhochschule Ingolstadt) "Criteria for Space Use - a Russian Perspective" Prof. Dr. Ruben Apressyan (Head of Department of Ethics, Institute of Philosophy/Russian Acadamy of Sciences)

PLENARY DISCUSSION

THURSDAY, 4.3.99
ASSESSMENT OF CONCRETE SPACE PROJECTS
9:00 to 11:00 1. USE OF NUCLEAR POWER IN SPACE
Convenor: Dr. Stefan Pickl, IANUS "German Participation in the NASA 'Mars Surveyor' Program - Aspects of Power Supply" Dr. Goestar Klingelhoefer (nuclear physics, Institut für Kernphysik at the Darmstadt University of Technology) "Are Plutonium Generators for the Cassini Mission Justifiable?" Roland Wolff (medical physics, Department of Nuclear Medicine at the District Hospital Ludenscheid) "Alternatives to Plutonium Use in Space" Kai Petzke (physics, PhD student at Technical University Berlin)

PLENARY DISCUSSION

11:30 to 13:00 2. MISSILE DEFENCE - RECENT POLITICAL AND TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Convenor: Dr. Stefan Pickl, IANUS "Space, Missile Defence, and the ABM Treaty" Dr. Bernd Kubbig (political science, Hessische Stiftung fur Friedens-und Konfliktforschung, Frankfurt)
Dr. Gotz Neuneck (physics, Institut fur Friedensforschung und Sicherheitspolitik Hamburg)

14:30 to 15:30

3. REMOTE SENSING SATELLITES
Convenor: Dr. Wolfgang Liebert, IANUS "Dual Use of Satellite Remote Sensing" Dr. Dieter Engels (astronomy, scientist at the Observatory of the University of Hamburg)

PLENARY DISCUSSION

16:00 to 18:00

4. THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION (ISS) "Manned Space Missions - Useless or Key to the Future?" Dr. Johannes Weyer (Fakultät für Soziologie at the University of Bielefeld)
Wolfgang Engelhardt (engineer and journalist, Koeln)

PLENARY DISCUSSION

20:00 to 22:00 PANEL DISCUSSION - "Who Controls Space? Conflict and International Control in Space"
Convenor: Dr. Goetz Neuneck (Institut für Friedensforschung und Sicherheitspolitik Hamburg) Brad Duty (Lieutenant Colonel, 3rd Space Communications Squadron with the US Air Force in Europe, Ramstein)
Klaus Arnhold (Oberst im Generalstab, German Ministry of Defense, Bonn)
Prof. Karl Grossman (journalist, State University of New York)
Dr. R. Balasubramaniam (Counselor for Science and Technology, Embassy of India, Bonn)

FRIDAY, 5.3.99
CONSEQUENCES OF CRITERIA FOR SPACE USE
Convenor: Christoph Pistner, IANUS
9:00 to 13:00 "Free, Peaceful Use of Space and International Space Law" Dr. Hans-Joachim Heintze (international law, Institut für Friedenssicherungsrecht und Humanitaeres Voelkerrecht at the Ruhr-Universität, Bochum) "Die Zukunft der Weltraumforschung und Politik/The Future of Space Research and Policy" Karsten Pfeiffer (scientific staff member for the parliamentary group Buendnis 90/Die Gruenen, Bonn)
Andreas Schlossarek (works council of GSI, Darmstadt; member of AGBR)
Regina Hagen (technical translator, member of the Darmstaedter Friedensforum) PLENARY DISCUSSION

CLOSING COMMENTS AND PERSPECTIVES

Dr Juergen Sceffran, IANUS 13:00 Lunch / End of the Conference

GLOBAL NETWORK MEETING

Immediately following the above conference, on March 5 and 6, there will be the official annual meeting of the Global Network against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space (including the Business Meeting) also at Darmstadt University.
The following agenda is suggested:

Friday March 6th, 3 - 7pm
Welcome and Introduction

  • Welcome
  • History of Global Network
  • Why we are here and what we want to accomplish
  • Introductions
  • Activity reports by groups/countries around space organizing

Friday 7pm
Dinner together at a local restaurant

Saturday March 7th, 9am - 12noon
Issue Up-dates/Reports

  • Cassini fly-by report
  • Space law report
  • Future plutonium missions
  • ASAT testing
  • Spy bases
  • Spy satellites
  • Space station
  • Mining the sky

Saturday 12 - 2pm
Lunch

Saturday 2 - 3pm
Up-coming meetings of interest

  • Hague Appeal for Peace (May)
  • UNISPACE III (July 19-30, Vienna)

Saturday 3 - 6pm
GN Internal Business Items

  • Review of 1998-1999 finances
  • Review of proposed by-laws for GN
  • GN Coordination in 1999-2000
  • GN officers selection for 1999-2000
  • Next GN meeting (Where? When?)

Saturday 6 - 8pm
Dinner together at local restaurant

Saturday 9 - ?
Party
To conclude the annual meeting, music, fun etc.

Darmstadt is located approximately 20 miles south of Frankfurt in the centre of Germany. Frankfurt airport is at about 15 miles from Darmstadt with a shuttle bus (Airliner) running at regular intervals from about 5 am to 11 pm. The Darmstaedter Friendensforum will organise the Global Network meeting, including finding private hosts or other accommodation for the activists attending the meeting.

Book for either meeting soon:

Information about the scientific conference from:
IANUS
Hochschulstrasse 10
D-64289 Darmstadt
Tel. [49] 6151/16-43 68
Fax [49] 6151/16-60 39
e-mail: IANUS@hrzpub.tu-darmstadt.de

Information about the scientific conference and the Global Network meeting from:
Darmstaedter Friedensforum
c/o Regina Hagen
Teichhausstrasse 46
D-64297 Darmstadt
Tel. [49] 6151/47 114
Fax. [49] 6151/47105
e-mail: regina.hagen@jugendstil.da.shuttle.de

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