International Space Station: The Next Marketplace

G. Haskell, Symposium Programme Committee Chair, Vice President, Administration and Programme Development, International Space University e-mail: Haskell@isu.isunet.edu M. Rycroft, Faculty Member, International Space University e-mail: Rycroft@isu.isunet.edu 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.