United Nations Basic Space Science Initiative (UNBSSI) 1991-2012 and Beyond

TL;DR

This paper reviews the achievements of the UN Basic Space Science Initiative from 1991 to 2012, highlighting equipment donations and workshops that supported developing nations' space science capabilities.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the UN's efforts in organizing workshops and distributing scientific equipment to promote space science in developing countries.

Findings

Distributed telescopes and space weather instruments to developing nations.

Organized twenty workshops on basic space science and related initiatives.

Supported international collaboration in space science development.

Abstract

This paper contains an overview and summary on the achievements of the United Nations basic space science initiative in terms of donated and provided planetariums, astronomical telescopes, and space weather instruments, particularly operating in developing nations. This scientific equipment has been made available to respective host countries, particularly developing nations, through the series of twenty basic space science workshops, organized through the United Nations Programme on Space Applications since 1991. Organized by the United Nations, the European Space Agency (ESA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States of America, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the basic space science workshops were organized as a series of workshops that focused on basic space science (1991-2004), the International Heliophysical Year 2007 (2005-2009), and the International Space Weather Initiative (2010-2012) proposed by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space on the basis of discussions of its Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, as reflected in the reports of the Subcommittee.