Particularly intense lightning discharges can produce transient luminous events above thunderclouds, termed sprites, elves and jets. These short lived optical emissions in the mesosphere can reach from the tops of thunderclouds up to the ionosphere; they provide direct evidence of coupling from the lower atmosphere to the upper atmosphere. Sprites are arguably the most dramatic recent discovery in solar-terrestrial physics. Shortly after the first ground based video recordings of sprites, observations on board the Space Shuttle detected sprites and elves occurring all around the world. These reports led to detailed sprite observations in North America, South America, Australia, Japan, and Europe. Subsequently, sprites were detected from other space platforms such as the International Space Station and the ROCSAT satellite. During the past 15 years, more than 200 contributions on sprites have been published in the scientific literature to document this rapidly evolving new research area.

Space is no longer the special, protected domain that it was in the past. Because of the importance of its practical applications, it is becoming integrated into the mainstream of economic activity. Technology push is giving way to the assessment of market opportunities and demand pull. Funding from the public sector is declining while interest in private financing is steadily growing. The value-added and service industries are increasing in importance. New technologies will be developed in a context of privatisation, de-regulation and globalization. An international and interdisciplinary Symposium was organized by the International Space University to bring together a diverse group of people, technical and non-technical, engaged in the creation of new approaches to space applications, in order to share experiences and to exchange ideas on the way forward. The Proceedings of this Symposium make stimulating reading for all who are engaged in the market-place of space and its applications.

G. Haskell, Symposium Programme Committee Chair, Vice President, Administration and Programme Development, International Space University e-mail: [email protected] M. Rycroft, Faculty Member, International Space University e-mail: [email protected] The theme of the fourth annual symposium arranged by the International Space University (ISU) was "International Space Station: The Next Space Marketplace". The Symposium covered this topic from the uniqu- interdisciplinary, international and intercultural - perspectives of ISU. It focussed on significant issues related to policy, innovative management, commerce, regulation, education and outreach rather than concentrating on engineering and scientific issues. Although admirable progress has already been made in defining the utilisation of the International Space Station (ISS) in its early operational phases, what does the future hold? What important new applications will arise? What commercial opportunities may emerge? And how will the political, legal and financial hurdles be overcome, not to mention the technical challenges? The aim of the Symposium was to discuss such questions and draw out new ways of using the Space Station in the future. Among the 120 attendees were members of the fourth Master of Space Studies class, young professionals and postgraduate students who are developing the Symposium's theme in their Team Project. Their comprehensive overview of the subject is presented as an Annex here. Their final report on the Team Project will be completed at the end of July 1999, and published separately.

Recent developments in telecommunications have led to new developments in tele-services, particularly tele-health and tele-education, for the benefit of those living in either the developed world or the less developed world. The benefits accrue to individuals and also to society at large. An international and interdisciplinary Symposium was organized by the International Space University to bring together technical and non-technical people to consider the future applications of space techniques to tele-services. The Proceedings of this Symposium are essential reading for all who need to appreciate the broad range of issues involved in this developing area.

M. Rycroft, FacultyMember, InternationalSpaceUniversity e-mail:[email protected] "The Space Transportation Market: Evolution or Revolution?" was the question which was the focus for the papers presented, and also the Panel Discussions, at the fifth annual Symposium organised by the International Space University. Held in Strasbourg, France, for three lively days at the end of May 2000, the Symposium brought together representatives of the developers, providers and operators of space transportation systems, of regulatory bodies, and of users of the space transportation infrastructure in many fields, as well as experts in policy and market analysis. From the papers published here, it is clear that today's answer to the question tends more towards evolution than to revolution. The space launch industry is still not a fully mature one, and is still reliant on at least partial funding by governments. Better cooperation is essential between governments, launch providers, satellite builders and satellite operators in order to reduce the problems which the space transportation market faces today.

Y. Fujimori, Symposium Programme Committee Chair, and Faculty Member, International Space University e-mail: fujimori@isu. isunet. edu M. Rycroft, Faculty Member, International Space University e-mail: rycroft@isu. isunet. edu Building on the foundations provided by the International Space Station, now partially constructed and already in use in low Earth orbit, what will be the future directions of human spaceflight? This was the key question discussed from many viewpoints - technical, entrepreneurial, governmental, legal - at the seventh Annual Symposium held in Strasbourg, France, early in June 2002. Many ideas on the "whys" and the "hows" of our future exploration of the final frontier were put forward in a stimulating environment. The unique perspective of the International Space University (ISU) - namely an interdisciplinary, international and intercultural perspective - enhanced both the presentations and the discussions. More than 150 people attended the Symposium, including the current members of the Master of Space Studies class who are attending an 11 month course at ISU. They are young professionals and postgraduate students who develop in-depth some part of the broad Symposium theme in their parallel Team Projects. Their final reports will be completed at the end of July 2002, and will be published independently. 1 Beyond the ISS: The Future of Human Spaceflight Keynote Address: A Summary The Need for a New Vision E. Vallerani, Advanced Logistic Technology Engineering Center, The Italian Gateway to the ISS, Corso Marche 79, Torino 10146, Italy e-mail: vallerani. ernesto@spacegate-altec.

Y. Fujimori, Symposium Programme Committee Chair, and Faculty Member, International Space University e-mail: [email protected] M.Rycroft, Faculty Member, International Space University e-mail: [email protected] N. Crosby, International Space University e-mail: [email protected] For the sixth annual ISU Symposium the theme was "Smaller Satellites: Bigger Business? Concepts, Applications and Markets for Micro/Nanosatellites in a New Information World." Thus, the Symposium addressed the crucial question: are small satellites the saviour of space programmes around the world It did this from the unique perspective of the International Space today? University - the interdisciplinary, international and intercultural perspective. This Symposium brought together a variety of people working on small satellites - engineers, scientists, planners, providers, operators, policy makers and business executives, together with representatives from regulatory bodies, from national and international organizations, and from the finance sector, and also entrepreneurs. Discussion and debate were encouraged, based on the papers presented and those published here.

T. Ito, International Space University, Strasbourg Central Campus, 1 Rue Jean Dominique Cassini, Parc d'Innovation, 67400 lllkirch-Graffenstaden, France e-mail: ito@isu. isunet. edu M. J. Rycroft, CAESAR Consultancy, 35 Millington Road, Cambridge CB3 9HW, UK e-mail: Michael. J. Rycroft (R)ukgateway. net As Symposium Committee Chair for the 2003 International Space University (ISU) Symposium, and Editor of this Proceedings volume, respectively, we write this introduction. The success of previous ISU symposia suggests that the ISU has developed a unique and winning formula for a novel type of symposium. The characteristics of ISU symposia are that they: * Adopt a broad, and interdisciplinary, perspective * Address all aspects of the subject, ranging from policy, business, organisational, and legal issues to technical and scientific topics * Foster a constructive dialogue among very different sectors of the space community, and * Allow ample time for interactive discussions. The present Symposium is no exception. It considers the very timely topic of space-based systems for global positioning and navigation, ranging from the GPS system developed by the US military to the Russian GLONASS system, and on to the future European Galileo system. Other nations are planning regional augmentation systems.

Particularly intense lightning discharges can produce transient luminous events above thunderclouds, termed sprites, elves and jets. These short lived optical emissions in the mesosphere can reach from the tops of thunderclouds up to the ionosphere; they provide direct evidence of coupling from the lower atmosphere to the upper atmosphere. Sprites are arguably the most dramatic recent discovery in solar-terrestrial physics. Shortly after the first ground based video recordings of sprites, observations on board the Space Shuttle detected sprites and elves occurring all around the world. These reports led to detailed sprite observations in North America, South America, Australia, Japan, and Europe. Subsequently, sprites were detected from other space platforms such as the International Space Station and the ROCSAT satellite. During the past 15 years, more than 200 contributions on sprites have been published in the scientific literature to document this rapidly evolving new research area.

Particularly intense lightning discharges can produce transient luminous events above thunderclouds, termed sprites, elves and jets. These short lived optical emissions in the mesosphere can reach from the tops of thunderclouds up to the ionosphere; they provide direct evidence of coupling from the lower atmosphere to the upper atmosphere. Sprites are arguably the most dramatic recent discovery in solar-terrestrial physics. Shortly after the first ground based video recordings of sprites, observations on board the Space Shuttle detected sprites and elves occurring all around the world. These reports led to detailed sprite observations in North America, South America, Australia, Japan, and Europe. Subsequently, sprites were detected from other space platforms such as the International Space Station and the ROCSAT satellite. During the past 15 years, more than 200 contributions on sprites have been published in the scientific literature to document this rapidly evolving new research area. The need for international information exchange was quickly recognized, and sprite sessions became a permanent feature with a constantly growing number of contributions in the scientific communities of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the International Union of Radio Science (URSI), the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA) and the European Geosciences Union EGU).

T. Ito, International Space University, Strasbourg Central Campus, 1 Rue Jean Dominique Cassini, Parc d'Innovation, 67400 lllkirch-Graffenstaden, France e-mail: ito@isu. isunet. edu M. J. Rycroft, CAESAR Consultancy, 35 Millington Road, Cambridge CB3 9HW, UK e-mail: Michael. J. Rycroft (R)ukgateway. net As Symposium Committee Chair for the 2003 International Space University (ISU) Symposium, and Editor of this Proceedings volume, respectively, we write this introduction. The success of previous ISU symposia suggests that the ISU has developed a unique and winning formula for a novel type of symposium. The characteristics of ISU symposia are that they: * Adopt a broad, and interdisciplinary, perspective * Address all aspects of the subject, ranging from policy, business, organisational, and legal issues to technical and scientific topics * Foster a constructive dialogue among very different sectors of the space community, and * Allow ample time for interactive discussions. The present Symposium is no exception. It considers the very timely topic of space-based systems for global positioning and navigation, ranging from the GPS system developed by the US military to the Russian GLONASS system, and on to the future European Galileo system. Other nations are planning regional augmentation systems.

Y. Fujimori, Symposium Programme Committee Chair, and Faculty Member, International Space University e-mail: fujimori@isu. isunet. edu M. Rycroft, Faculty Member, International Space University e-mail: rycroft@isu. isunet. edu Building on the foundations provided by the International Space Station, now partially constructed and already in use in low Earth orbit, what will be the future directions of human spaceflight? This was the key question discussed from many viewpoints - technical, entrepreneurial, governmental, legal - at the seventh Annual Symposium held in Strasbourg, France, early in June 2002. Many ideas on the "whys" and the "hows" of our future exploration of the final frontier were put forward in a stimulating environment. The unique perspective of the International Space University (ISU) - namely an interdisciplinary, international and intercultural perspective - enhanced both the presentations and the discussions. More than 150 people attended the Symposium, including the current members of the Master of Space Studies class who are attending an 11 month course at ISU. They are young professionals and postgraduate students who develop in-depth some part of the broad Symposium theme in their parallel Team Projects. Their final reports will be completed at the end of July 2002, and will be published independently. 1 Beyond the ISS: The Future of Human Spaceflight Keynote Address: A Summary The Need for a New Vision E. Vallerani, Advanced Logistic Technology Engineering Center, The Italian Gateway to the ISS, Corso Marche 79, Torino 10146, Italy e-mail: vallerani. ernesto@spacegate-altec.

M. Rycroft, FacultyMember, InternationalSpaceUniversity e-mail: [email protected] "The Space Transportation Market: Evolution or Revolution?" was the question which was the focus for the papers presented, and also the Panel Discussions, at the fifth annual Symposium organised by the International Space University. Held in Strasbourg, France, for three lively days at the end of May 2000, the Symposium brought together representatives of the developers, providers and operators of space transportation systems, of regulatory bodies, and of users of the space transportation infrastructure in many fields, as well as experts in policy and market analysis. From the papers published here, it is clear that today's answer to the question tends more towards evolution than to revolution. The space launch industry is still not a fully mature one, and is still reliant on at least partial funding by governments. Better cooperation is essential between governments, launch providers, satellite builders and satellite operators in order to reduce the problems which the space transportation market faces today.

Recent developments in telecommunications have led to new developments in tele-services, particularly tele-health and tele-education, for the benefit of those living in either the developed world or the less developed world. The benefits accrue to individuals and also to society at large. An international and interdisciplinary Symposium was organized by the International Space University to bring together technical and non-technical people to consider the future applications of space techniques to tele-services. The Proceedings of this Symposium are essential reading for all who need to appreciate the broad range of issues involved in this developing area.

Space is no longer the special, protected domain that it was in the past. Because of the importance of its practical applications, it is becoming integrated into the mainstream of economic activity. Technology push is giving way to the assessment of market opportunities and demand pull. Funding from the public sector is declining while interest in private financing is steadily growing. The value-added and service industries are increasing in importance. New technologies will be developed in a context of privatisation, de-regulation and globalization. An international and interdisciplinary Symposium was organized by the International Space University to bring together a diverse group of people, technical and non-technical, engaged in the creation of new approaches to space applications, in order to share experiences and to exchange ideas on the way forward. The Proceedings of this Symposium make stimulating reading for all who are engaged in the market-place of space and its applications.

G. Haskell, Symposium Convenor & Vice President for Academic Services and Outreach, International Space University By taking "Space of Service to Humanity" as the theme for the inaugural event in its series of annual symposia, the International Space University (ISU) is asserting that this application of space technology requires special attention at this time. Future symposia will examine the issues of the day from different perspectives. In keeping with the fundamental principles of ISU, the symposium took a global perspective, as distinct from national or regional perspectives, and treated both technical and non-technical topics. Oral and poster presentations were delivered in the scientific, engineering, economic, legal, political and philosophical domains. All oral papers were delivered in plenary session to encourage cross fertilization between specialities, and posters were readily available for viewing throughout the three-day event. As an international and interdisciplinary forum for the sharing of experience and for discussion and debate, the symposium proved to be a stimulating and worthwhile event for the 135 participants from 25 countries and 5 international organizations with backgrounds in industry, government and academia."

Y. Fujimori, Symposium Programme Committee Chair, and Faculty Member, International Space University e-mail: [email protected] M.Rycroft, Faculty Member, International Space University e-mail: [email protected] N. Crosby, International Space University e-mail: [email protected] For the sixth annual ISU Symposium the theme was "Smaller Satellites: Bigger Business? Concepts, Applications and Markets for Micro/Nanosatellites in a New Information World." Thus, the Symposium addressed the crucial question: are small satellites the saviour of space programmes around the world It did this from the unique perspective of the International Space today? University - the interdisciplinary, international and intercultural perspective. This Symposium brought together a variety of people working on small satellites - engineers, scientists, planners, providers, operators, policy makers and business executives, together with representatives from regulatory bodies, from national and international organizations, and from the finance sector, and also entrepreneurs. Discussion and debate were encouraged, based on the papers presented and those published here.