NATIONAL PAPER OF ROMANIA, 1999

The National Paper of Romania has been submitted to the United nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and then distributed, as UN document A/CONF.184/NP/39, to all Member States and international organizations participant to the UNISPACE III UN World Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space,  Vienna, 19 - 31 August 1999.

CONTENTS

SUMMARY
I. HISTORY
     I.1. Short chronology

II. ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK

III. NATIONAL SPACE PROGRAMME
     III.1. Space Policy and Infrastructure
     III.2. Space Science
          III.2.1. Basic Space Science
          III.2.2. Microgravity and Life Science
     III.3. Space Applications
          III.3.1. Space Communications
          III.3.2. Earth Observations
          III.3.3. Space Information and Navigation Systems
     III.4. Space technology and spin-off

IV. REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Annex 1 ROMANIAN SPACE AGENCY INSTITUTIONS

The paper presents an overview of the main activities and developments in Romania in the field of space science, technology and its applications. The presentation is structured in the following sectors: history, organisational matters and institutional framework, national space programme, regional and international co-operation.

The following developments testifies that Romania is recognised as a country with aerospace tradition and represents the basis for the space enterprise in the future:

• The existence of historical personalities such as Conrad Haas (constructor of the multistage rockets with delta stabilisers, Sibiu . 1529), Aurel Vlaicu (first Romanian aerospace engineer), Traian Vuia (designer and constructor of the first autonomous take-off aeroplane in 1906), Henri Coanda (designer and constructor of the first jet aeroplane in 1910), Hermann Oberth (designer of space rockets and "father of space navigation"), Elie Carafoli (important contributions in aerodynamics and space sciences, president of the IAF in 1961, 1962);
• The development of the aeronautical industry which presently includes the manufacturing, based on original design or under license, of more than twenty types of transport aeroplanes, helicopters, passenger medium couriers, and light aeroplanes;
• Romanian contributions to more than thirty scientific and technological space missions including the mission of the first Romanian cosmonaut in 1981;
• The experience in the field of space applications; since 1997 the Cheia Intelsat ground station with two 32 m antennas is operational; applications of remote sensing imagery and Geostationary Positioning System technology performed for the oil industry, agriculture, environment, cartography, and land use;
• The large sector of commercial space applications, as space communications, applications of satellite remote sensing, geographic informational systems, positioning and navigation, global information systems.

In order to reconsider the importance of space activities as necessary elements for the development of the Romanian community, the public administration in co-operation with the private entities have created and supported this endeavour.

1990
• Establishment of the Institute of Space Science
  
  1991
• Establishment of the Romanian Space Agency (ROSA) as a National Space Board in the frame of the Ministry of Education and Science
  
  1992
• Agreement between the European Space Agency and the Government of Romania concerning cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes
  
  1993
• Agreement with ESA ratified by the Romanian Parliament by Law no. 40/1993
• The establishment of the Ministry of Research and Technology and the first source of public funding for several space projects
  
  1994
• First Romanian Space Plan included in the National Research and Development Programme HORIZON 2000
• Romania is re-integrated in COSPAR as a full member
• ROSA is entitled to represent Romania for the COPUOS meetings
• Establishment of several research and development groups in Universities and the Romanian Academy
  
  1995
• Establishment of the National Council for Aeronautics and Space as a financing organism for the research and development projects
• Re-organisation of ROSA as an independent institution in the frame of the Ministry of Research and Technology
• Establishment of the National Institute for Aerospace Researches
• Beginning of the first infrastructure project: Centre for Space Research and Training. Support of ROSA for the UN initiative to develop Regional Centres for Education in Space Science and Technology
  
  1996
• Bilateral agreements of cooperation with Bulgaria and Italy
• ROSA becomes member of the Space Agencies Forum
• Institutional building for ROSA
• Beginning of the Romanian microsatellite project
  
  1997
• Drafting of the National Space Programme 1997+
• Memorandum of Understanding for the establishment of the Regional Network of Research and Education in Space Science and Technology for Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe, under the auspices of the United Nations
  
  1998
• Restructuring of ROSA as an independent public institution with the attributes to promote, co-ordinate and represent the Romanian space activities.
• Establishment of the ROSA Research Centre and the ROSA information system.
• The National Board approves the Romanian Space Programme for Research, Development and Innovation
• Inauguration of the NOAA satellite images reception station
• Inauguration of the first telemedicine site, together with the Italian Space Agency
• Agreement of space co-operation with Hungary
• The visit of the UN technical study mission in Romania for the Regional Network
• Draft ISO 9000 Quality manual for ROSA
  
  1999
• Organisation in Bucharest of the UNISPACE III Regional Preparatory Conference for Eastern Europe

The national co-ordinating body of the space activities is the Romanian Space Agency (ROSA), established in 1991 and reorganized by a Government Decision in 1995 as an independent public institution under the auspices of the Ministry of Research and Technology (actually, National Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation).

The objectives of the ROSA are to promote and coordinate space development and national efforts in the field, and, as a Government representative, to promote international cooperation. In particular, ROSA is authorized to establish research and development centres oriented on specific objectives of the Romanian Space Programme.

One of the ROSA´s main responsibilities is to coordinate and integrate the activities of the national space research and development programme. In cooperation with the Science Council for Aeronautics and Space of the Government. s Advisory Board for Research and Development, the public financing body, ROSA orients the funding towards the following directions: basic space science, space structures, technologies, microgravity, communications, information, education, Earth observation and remote sensing applications, life sciences and medicine.

On behalf of the Government, ROSA is the national representative in the cooperative agreements with international organizations, such as European Space Agency (ESA) and Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), as well as bilateral governmental agreements. Together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROSA is representing Romania in the sessions of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Use of Outer Space (COPUOS) and its Subcommittees.

Romania is a party to all major international treaties concerning space activities.

The National Space Programme encompasses the main space activities of the country. The research projects are included in the National Research and Development Programme "HORIZON 2000", which contains a distinct section for space research and development. About forty research and higher education units are affiliated to the system of the ROSA, by developing specific projects components of the national space plan.

The financing priorities are distributed towards: i) medium-term projects and initial studies with effective spin-off to the national economy, defined by ROSA together with the users and those who benefit from results; ii) basic and advanced space research on restrained domains, sustained by international cooperation or by the leader position of the research group in the field; iii) space infrastructure objectives.

Successful launches of scientific experiments and devices achieved by Romanian scientists were performed in the frame of several international space missions, presently a few scientific instruments and devices developed by Romanian scientists are in orbit. Meaningful scientific results were obtained in astrophysics, Earth environment studies, microgravity researches, fundamental science in space, thermal elasticity, information processing. The above results were presented at international congresses, including the COSPAR Scientific Assembly and the Congress of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). A significant number of research reports were published in international journals. A great number of projects were conducted to spin-offs, especially in satellite communications, small aircraft onboard technology, thermography algorithms, and information technology.

Since 1998, the National Space Programme has been redrafted on the following main directions: space strategy and infrastructure, space science, space applications, space technology and spin-off. In order to develop space infrastructure and capacity building, the projects are oriented towards space science and its applications. Special emphasis was given to projects of national significance, including a small satellite for hazard monitoring and a public database of satellite imagery, which will become operational in the next few years.

One of the most significant objectives of the National Space Programme is the development, under the auspices of the United Nations, of a National Centre of Research and Education in Space Science and Technology.

Some of the directions and results of the National Space Programme are summarised in the sequel.

This section of the National Space Programme is directly conducted by the Romanian Space Agency with the purpose to develop infrastructure and knowledge objectives needed for the national space development. Determined activity is promoted to improve the space human and technical infrastructure and to develop capacity building, both needed for Romania as a country with emerging space technology.

Relevant efforts are performed to start, according also to the United Nations recommendations, the development of a small satellite with remote sensing, informational and educational capabilities, with the estimated launch in the 2000-2001. The main purpose of this project is the promotion of space science, technology and applications with spin-offs to national economy and capacity building. Since 1998, the microsatellite project has been oriented to operational applications in hazard monitoring, and appropriate international agreements of co-operation for the construction, launch and utilisation of the mission are in progress.

A national Centre for Research and Training in Space Science, Technology and Applications is to be established in the structure of the Romanian Space Agency. This centre is regarded as the component of the Network of Space Research and Education Institutions for Central Eastern and South Eastern Europe, established in 1996 with the participation of Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic and Turkey, under the co-ordination of UN Office for Outer Space Affairs and in the frame of the United Nations Programme on Space Applications. The logistic infrastructure of the centre has been improved in 1998 by means of a receiving station for the NOAA satellites and a computer network linked connected at 64 k to the Internet.

An experimental form of multidisciplinary postgraduate training in general space science and technology has been developed under the auspices and financial support of the Romanian Space Agency. Young graduates were stimulated to obtain scholarships for Ph.D. and masters in science degrees in universities from Western Europe and United States in fields related to the National Space Programme. By means of the international agreements signed by ROSA, training stages for scientists were ensured by organisations as ESA, Italian Space Agency, International Space University, NATO and other institutions.

In the field of space policy, ROSA is continuously improving the level of knowledge, together with the development of the informational base. ROSA is representing the Government of Romania in several international organisations, in particular for the COPUOS and its Subcommittees sessions. An important activity is the co-ordination of the Agreement of co-operation between Romania and the European Space Agency. The professionals of ROSA have elaborated studies on general space policy with applications to the drafting of the National Space Programme, addressed also to the decision-makers. In January 1999, ROSA organised on behalf of the government of Romania the UNISPACE III Preparatory Conference for Eastern Europe.

The research activity covers most of the fields of basic space science and is achieved by a few public institutes and groups from Universities.

Studies on meteorology and climate were performed mainly by the National Institute on Meteorology and Hydrology, by means of data from meteorological satellites. Specific studies on the Earth. s surface towards the tectonic movements and earthquake prediction were performed by the Institute of Geodynamics of the Romanian Academy, which improved its astrogeodynamical test zones in selected locations of the Romanian territory. An outstanding result is the achievement by the Institute of Gravitation and Space Sciences of the Onboard computing system for the PRIRODA remote sensing space experiment, launched and coupled with the MIR space station at 23 April 1996.

As for space studies of the Earth-Moon system, planets and small bodies of the Solar system, mainly the Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy developed studies. In June 1996, the first NATO sponsored Workshop on the Solar Eclipse 1999 has been organised by the Romanian Academy and the Ministry of Researches and Technology, in Sinaia, Romania, 3-5 June. It is to be followed by a similar workshop to be organised during the Total Solar Eclipse of August 11, 1999.

In the field of space studies of the upper atmospheres of the Earth and planets, including reference atmospheres, mainly the Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy developed studies, in particular concerning aspects of satellite dynamics in the observation of the upper terrestrial atmosphere. Studies on atmospheric composition and dynamics were also accomplished by the Institute of Space Sciences. Related to the Romanian Space Agency initiative to restore the experience in constructing and launching payloads on sounding rockets, a project on the onboard mass spectrometers for the study of the atmosphere composition has been financed starting from 1997.

Regarding space plasmas in the Solar system, including planetary magnetospheres, scientific and research activity has been performed mainly by the Institute of Space Science (ISS). The study of the Earth. s magnetosphere is accomplished by means of satellite data processing and achievement and launch of magnetometers in international co-operation within the AKTIVNYI, APEX and INTERBALL space projects.

The AKTIVNYI mission was based on a couple of polar satellites launched in 1989. The main satellite, INTERKOSMOS-24 was accompanied by the MAGION small satellite, containing the Romanian SGR-6 variometer and SGR-7 magnetometer, designed as both navigation tools and scientific instruments. The processed magnetic field data were published in 1992 by IGSS as a Catalogue of Geomagnetic Events, renewed in 1996. Cases of small scale layering of Birkeland current were discovered, and the result that the upward branch of the Region1/Region2 FAC system is mode susceptible to be small scale layered than the downwards one, in close relation to discrete auroral arc. s activation. AKTIVNYI was followed by the APEX experiment, with Romanian magnetometers SGR-7 installed onboard the MAGION-3 satellite, with the main goal to study active experiments on space plasma. The INTERBALL mission, along with ESA. s CLUSTER, is a 4-point mission meant to investigate the magnetosphere and surroundings. The first pair of satellites, PROGNOZ and MAGION (containing the Romanian triaxial magnetometer SGR-8) was launched in August 1995, followed of a second pair of the same type in August 1996. Experimental data is in the processing stage, in correlation with the ones achieved by the United States missions POLAR and WIND, and the Japanese mission GEOTAIL.

The Romanian SGR-8 triaxial magnetometer was achieved especially for the INTERBALL experiment, devoted for studying space and time variations of the magnetic field and as a service system for the satellite orientation.

Since 1998, the magnetometry group from the Institute of Space Science is contributing to the EQUATOR-S, FAST and CLUSTER magnetometry and space plasma projects of the European Space Agency.

Regarding research in astrophysics from space, the Institute of Space Science and the Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy, in international co-operation developed most of the projects. Scientists participated to international projects, as ROSETTA, SOHO, ISO, COBRAS/SAMBA, MACRO, and KASCADE with theoretical modelling, data processing and technical considerations on the experimental set-ups. The Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy performed observations and correlation with the data acquired by space telescopes.

Since 1998, the Institute of Space Science is involved in the PLANCK and SPOrt European Space Agency projects.

A special project . NOTTE - is developed for the opportunity of the total solar eclipse of August 11, 1999 by the National Institute of Nuclear Physics in Bologna, Italy, together with the Institute of Space Science Bucharest and the National Institute on Aerospace Researches. The possible solar neutrino oscillations could be evidenced during the screening of the Sun by the Moon. A supersonic aircraft flying with a speed of 2448 km/h across the Romanian territory to duly follow the eclipse umbra will transport a stabilised platform carrying the scientific instruments for detection.

In the field of satellite dynamics, results were given for the AKTIVNYI and APEX space missions sub-satellite attitude determination and a fluidic accelerometer to be used onboard the satellites has been designed by the Institute of Space Sciences). The Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy developed methods of astrometrical interest. Some of the 1996 projects deal with theoretical and applied celestial mechanics methods, regarding spacecraft and space stations dynamics (Aeronautical Department of the Polytechnica University Bucharest). Since 1998 and during 1999 a project on the optimal singular control in space dynamics has been finalised by the Institute of Applied Mathematics in Bucharest in co-operation with the University of Savoie, France.

Studies were also performed in the field of fundamental physics in space. Specific research has been developed mainly by the Institute of Space Sciences - Gravitational Researches Laboratory and the Universities of Iasi and Cluj. Studies on the discrete space-time structure and applications of the theory of categories to gravity, together with theoretical researches in General Relativity, focused to prove experimental effects possible to be measured as spin-offs of the LISA and STEP future missions of the European Space Agency and the NASA. s Gravity Probe-B. By using a specific formalism, a new radar-echo delay test for the existence of the gravitational waves has been suggested. Post-Newtonian celestial mechanics calculations were performed to produce future Solar system space experiments to verify the gravitation theory. A relation between the stability of planetary systems and the possible existence of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles as components of the Universe dark matter has been developed.

III.2.2. Microgravity and Life Sciences.

The researches were focused predominately on fluids in microgravity, in particular magnetic fluids, and they were developed mainly by the Institute of Gravitation and Space Science - Gravitational Researches Laboratory (GRL), the Institute of Complex Fluids (ICF), "Politehnica" University Timisoara and Magnetic Fluids Laboratory - Centre for Fundamental and Advanced Technical Researches - Timisoara Branch of the Romanian Academy. A co-operation with DARA/ZARM Drop Tower facility in Bremen, Germany, employed Romanian prepared magnetic fluids for researches on their rheological and magnetorheological properties.

Studies of ICF concerning the mechanism of heat transfer in nucleate boiling of magnetic fluids under microgravity conditions denoted that the effects of magnetofluidic levitation of first order and of magnetic pressure on the heterogeneous nucleation and development of bubbles in magnetic fluids in uniform and non-uniform magnetic fields are of the same magnitude or even greater than those due to terrestrial gravitational acceleration. Preliminary experimental results on gas bubbles development at singular sites show that the emission frequency of bubbles, and consequently the heat transfer rate, may be varied between large limits by the intensity and/or gradient of applied magnetic field. Experimental studies of the magnetic fluids composites performed by GRL denoted a new effect - the microscopic inner rotation of the nonmagnetic phase in the magnetic liquid - useful for heat and mass transfer through walls and liquid membranes.

An experimental model of gas bubble flow rate sensor was constructed and tested by ICF. Sensitive devices to be used for weak acceleration measurement and microgravity quality monitoring, employing composite magnetic liquids were designed by GRL.

Theoretical results were given in the field of lubrication problems under microgravity (Aeronautics Department of the Polytechnica University Bucharest) and in transport phenomena (Research Institute on Condensed Matter).

Specific developments performed by the Romanian Space Agency conducted to the definition of some experiments on fluids to be performed under microgravity conditions on drop-tower facilities and parabolic flight. The proposed experiments were designed to constitute a small payload (0.5 to 0.9 kg) possible to be mounted onboard of a microsatellite.

Life sciences

Several research institutes and universities performed particular studies on living structures under space conditions, as microgravity, cosmic radiation and magnetic fields. A horizontal axis clinostate to simulate microgravity conditions for plants and cells has been achieved by the Technical University of Timisoara and experimental investigations on plant gravitropism under simulated hipogravity were performed. Studies were also developed on the pharmaceutical and biochemical products action in space conditions. Aspects of human and animal physiology under microgravity and radiation were studied by the Institute on Normal and Pathological Physiology and the Institute of Aeronautical Medicine. Theoretical aspects of cellular behaviour in microgravity were evidenced by the UNESCO Centre on Biodynamics . Bucharest.

The extension of space communications renders a rapid progress in the last couple of years, being promoted mainly by a growing number of private companies. The Cheia Intelsat Ground Station with two 32-m antennas, operational from 1977, has been refurbished and enlarged as performance. The development of VSAT communications is mainly promoted by the data communications and Internet services providers. Direct broadcasting of several local television programs is ensured. The next future development of LEO satellites communications has been anticipated by the establishment of local dealers for systems as ORBCOMM, Globalstar, ICO. Research and mainly groups belonging to the technical universities, as the National Centre for Space Communications and Information in the Polytechnica University Bucharest perform development in the field. Studies regarding the stability of the communication channels, propagation and compression algorithms financed by the National Space Program have conducted to scientific and practical results. A particular development emerged in the field of telemedicine by means of the SHARED project initiated by the Italian Space Agency, having a terminal in Bucharest under the auspices of ROSA, operational from 1998.

The development of the field is mainly driven by the commercial companies, which are also investing in the training of the qualified personnel. Space communications is a standard component of the Electric Engineering curricula in most of the universities in Romania.

The field is in rapid growth in Romania, both as research and commercial applications. The activities are devoted mainly to applications for improving natural resources management, cartography, land use and the protection of the environment.

Most of the research and applications projects are performed in the frame of international programmes, as: CORINE Land Cover, MARS, PRIRODA, and MIRUVOS. ERS, ENVISAT. A dozen of small companies are employing space imagery from optical and radar high-resolution satellites as Landsat, Spot, IRS, ERS, Radarsat. Researches were performed also for satellite image processing algorithms. The Institute of Optoelectronics and the CRUTA Remote sensing Centre developed studies on space imaging applied to forestry and hydrology.

During 1998, an automated receiving station for the NOAA-14 and NOAA-15 low resolution remote sensing satellites has been installed at the site of the ROSA Research Centre. The acquired data is used mainly for agriculture studies and is accessible public on the Internet. The Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology have inaugurated another receiving station at the end of 1998, being operationally used for weather prediction and modelling.

The CRUTA Remote Sensing Centre, in co-operation with the European Commission has developed a crop information system. The National Office for Cartography and Geodesy is developing a project of a Centre for Remote Sensing Data, to be organised as a national database for cartographic uses.

Several internal conferences and workshops were organised in co-operation with the European Space Agency, European Commission, ISPRA, FAO and other organisations. A few Romanian professionals accomplished training stages, in co-operation with the Italian Space Agency and CNES . GDTA. University courses are included in the regular curriculum in the Faculties of Geodesy, Geography, Physics, Agriculture, Geology, and Environmental engineering in all major universities in Bucharest and other cities.

Basic studies on the precision and stability of satellite global positioning systems are performed mainly by the Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy and the Technical University of Civil Engineering. A project to produce onboard GPS systems is developed by the Institute of Research in Electronics Bucharest. Several Universities have introduced global information systems as a topic in the regular curricula. It is to be expected that project proposals of some university groups will be included in the European Commission Fifth Framework Research and Development Programme on the theme devoted to the second-generation satellite navigation and positioning systems (GNSS-2).

The development of the commercial use of global positioning techniques has been urged in particular by the extension of cellular telephony, due to the need of precise localisation of the antennas, in particular for the covering of the large cities. There are in present two operators for the 900 MHz band, one for the 1800 MHz band and one for the 450 MHz band, covering most of the national territory. Some companies on digital mapping, cartography and geographic information systems are using GPS on a regular basis. Applications of global positioning systems applications are developed also by the airline companies and by several transportation companies, using expert systems GPS based for traffic monitoring. Since the establishment of the National Office for Cartography and Geodesy in 1996, rules for this kind of activities are to be established.

The contribution of the private sector in the development and implementation of space applications is becoming preponderant. However, most of the end-users are public institutions as the central and local administrations, and the market is in close dependency with the state policies.

Since the end of 1998, the National Agency for Communications and Information has been established as a governmental institution, by joining the Ministry of Communications and the National Commission for Information. It is to be expected that the Agency, together with ROSA and other government institutions, will promote a legal frame for joining the space communications and space information applications to foster the implementation of effective geographic information systems and to promote support for the permanent development in common of space communications, positioning and imagery systems.

Since 1998, a multidisciplinary project on hazard monitoring has been stated as a government priority, oriented for floods, landslides and earthquakes. The Romanian Space Agency is conducting in present the first phase study of the component of space applications in risk management. The project should be correlated with the regional initiatives to develop systems for environmental and hazard monitoring.

This specific component of the National Space Programme is directed to fulfil some specific needs of the national aeronautical industry in order to connect this industry to the future space developments and also to make use of the experimental, testing and standardisation facilities of the aeronautical industry for space applications. Several projects are also spin-offs of space technology.

Construction of spaceflight instruments and payloads is the specific of this section. Several magnetometers and mass spectrometers have been designed and manufactured by the engineering groups from research and university groups involved in the space missions, together with the necessary electronic payloads.

The Institute of Space Science has built an orientable platform, together with the onboard computer, maintaining the remote sensing sensor in the ISTOK experiment on the MIR space station.

A stabilised platform with a positioning precision of a tenth of a second of arc has been achieved by the National Institute for Aerospace Researches (INCAS) in order to transport the neutrino oscillations detection experiment during the total solar eclipse from August 1999.

A small unmanned aircraft has been developed by INCAS and ROSA to experiment and teach space science and technology applications. The vehicle is equipped to perform training in remote sensing, communications, attitude control and navigation. A scientific payload of about 1.5-kg could be maintained in conditions of microgravity by means of parabolic flight. The main advantage of this system consists in the reduced period of time necessary to understand and to adjust the phases of a mission, with low costs.

Several medical and psychological methods developed in the Institute of Aeronautical Medicine for the training of the Romanian astronaut are today employed for the qualifying procedures of the aircraft pilots.

High sensitivity sensors developed for the Romanian space magnetometers were included in a system for the measurement and monitoring of the electromagnetic pollution, produced by the Institute of Technical Physics in Iasi. Mass spectrometers developed for as onboard scientific instruments were redesigned by the University of Cluj to be used in the testing of vacuum leakage for helium cryostats.

Magnetic fluids developed for microgravity experiments by the Institute of Complex Fluids in Timisoara have generated a class of rotary vacuum seals, manufactured today in Romania for chemical industry and crystal growth equipment.

It is to be noted that the groups involved in the projects of the National Space Programme have produced a number of 178 scientific papers in the last three years.

With reference to the role of the private industry, it can be noted important progress in the development of space communications, applications of satellite remote sensing, geographic informational systems, positioning and navigation systems and devices, global information systems, telemedicine. Presently, in Romania, several companies are promoting applications in geology, meteorology, cartography, natural resources, navigation systems, and satellite networking for information.

Regional and international cooperation has always played an important role in the planning and implementation of space benefits on economic and social development which is a prerequisite for the sustainable progress of the mankind.

During the 70. and 80. s, Romania was an active member of the INTERKOSMOS programme. At the same time, Romania has been affiliated to several relevant international organizations, such as COSPAR, INTELSAT, INMARSAT and consequently has developed joint activities. Romania is also a member of the International Council of Scientific Union and the IAF and takes part in their major scientific activities.

Another aspect of the international cooperation of Romania has been its cooperation with ESA. Romania was one of the first Eastern European countries, which concluded with ESA, an "Agreement of co-operation in the field of the peaceful use of outer space", signed in 1992 and ratified by the Romanian Parliament in July 1993. Following this cooperation, research projects with other European countries (including training of Romanian scientists in ESA countries, access to the European space information systems, technical support given by ESA for the development of indigenous space applications, workshops, etc), as well as other relevant activities have been developed.

Romania participated effectively in the work of the COPUOS, acting as Vice-President from its establishment in 1959 to 1997. Romanian delegations are actively represented in COPUOS and in its two Subcommittees (Scientific and Technical, and Legal).

Romania, together with Greece, has initiated during the COPUOS sessions the concept of the Network of Space Science and Technology Research and Education Institutions for Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. Presently the representatives of Bulgaria, Greece, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey agreed to establish the Network, which will be organized under the coordination of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. In this context, Romania offered infrastructure facilities for the establishment of a Regional Centre of Space Science and Technology, as an element of this Network.

ROSA has established and promoted mutual relations with other space agencies and organizations, with major interest in both global and regional integration. Cooperation projects with the Italian Space Agency were included in the intergovernmental agreement between Romania and Italy. ROSA has signed cooperation agreements with counterpart agencies from Bulgaria and Hungary. More than 120 cooperation agreements are concluded between research and development entities from Romania and institutions from more than 40 countries.

In preparation for UNISPACE III, Romania organized, together with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, and hosted the Regional preparatory Conference for Eastern Europe. The recommendations and proposals, which were agreed upon at the Preparatory Conference, constitute the regional input for consideration at the UNISPACE III.