CubeSats and space diplomacy: accelerating development by utilizing the International Space Station for earth observation satellite deployment

Abstract

Satellite technology, especially satellite Earth observation, can be a central tool to foster the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As the SDGs are aspiring to create change on a global level a reliable global network is necessary to support it. This thesis argues that a suitable network, when considering satellite technology, already exists and that it can be found in the global diplomatic network in general and within the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) in particular. To operationalize the full potential of UNOOSA to act as a mediator of diplomatic efforts of its Member States this thesis draws on the concept of science diplomacy. Building on the concept, the term space diplomacy and its three elements- space in diplomacy, diplomacy for space, and space for diplomacy- are defined. By analysing the Japan-UNOOSA experience and putting it in relation to the development of space technology in Ethiopia the thesis concludes that UNOOSA, together with its initiatives, can be utilized as a mediator of space diplomacy efforts of its Member States ranging from basic space science to small satellite deployment. In light of the JAXA/UNOOSA KiboCUBE programme, this thesis analyses the current technology level and Earth observation applications of CubeSats and identifies trends in the global development and growth of such projects. To this end a survey is performed including all known CubeSats which were deployed form the International Space Station (ISS) since the first deployment in October 2012 until early 2016. One of the central findings is that the subsystem technologies used are rather advanced, while some progress is still necessary in the arias of attitude control systems. The current capabilities of CubeSats with respect to potential employment in Earth observation missions with a focus on vegetation measurements are assessed. Evaluating the possibilities of CubeSats to cope with the requirements set for such measurements leads to the conclusion that constellations of 3Unit CubeSats are developing into powerful tools for monitoring global, regional and local vegetation phenomena, with the central promise of combining he temporal resolution of GEO missions with the spatial resolution of LEO missions.