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Australiam environment [2] Such an effort would permit the Australian laboratories and industries
to be in the forefront of operational remote sensing and space science and technology and wouid
provide the mechanism to maximize the involvement of Australia’s industry both in research and
in the supply of manufactured products.”
The German Democratic Republic has committed itself to space exploration and utilization
“in order to improve relevant theoretical and practical investigations as well as to derive technical
solutions for research equipment and to produce necessary hardware on a competitive commer-
cial basis in order to obtain a real economic benefit".
France, Japan and the Netherlands share a common philosophy in space exploration. Accor-
ding to France, "the challenge France now faces is to win a share of the international market for
commercial satellites particularly in countries without a space capability, i.e. the so-called oper
export market. This objective will only be achieved through a sustained development effort con-
ducted in co-operation with the firms concerned and with the support óf a strong national pro-
gramme''[3] According to the Earth Observation Satellite (EOSAT) Company which took over
the commercial operation of the Landsat programme, its goals are "to maintain and advance the
technology in Earth observation in response to market needs, to exploit United States invest-
ment in.research and development, in land remote sensing technology, to broaden the user base
serving the public and private interest, to support and stimulate academic and industrial research
and to establish a commercially viable operational land remote sensing industry.’
The aforementioned goals are being attained. Indeed, space science and technology including
rernote sensing have become an ever-expanding frontier which is creating a stronger interdepen-
dence among nations. The attainment of these goals have been possible through the provision of
necessary infractructure. Such an infrastructure consists of: far-sighted political decisions, deve-
lopment and utilization of appropriate needed human resources, investment in essential hardware
and software systems, and commitment to and funding for the realisation of achievable objectives.
This infrastructural arrangement has enabled the societies concerned to be and to remain in the
forefront of the research and development processes and associated activities while breaking new
grounds daily, as achievements in one frontier leads to opportunities in another.
By participating in remote sensing technology, what objectives are the developing countries
aiming at? What infrastructural arrangements have been made to attain these? in this context,
"infrastructure'' refers to any step/arrangement needed to satisfactorily achieve an objective. A
number of developing countries are today active in remo te sensing technology in order to upgra-
de their existing information systems as well as, in some cases, obtain for the first time informa-
tion on some aspects of their natura! resources. Such information can be used to provide the basis
for decision-making as well as the means for monitoring the outcome of past decisions. It can also
be used to enhance opportunities for planned development: it can provide opportunities for a
nation to tailor its development activities in a manner compatible with its resource base. Such
information can also provide a nation with the opportunity to enter into matured mutually
beneficial resource exploitation relationship particu larly with other countries.
According to Principle V of the Draft Principles on Remote Sensing now being presented to
the forty-first session of the United Nations General Assembly for adoption:
“States carrying out remote sensing activities shall promote international co-operation in
these activities. To this end, they shall make available to other States opportunities for parti-
cipation therein. Such participation shall be based ir. each case on equitable and mutually
acceptable terms.’ [5] :
How can the developing countries take advantage of these opportunities? The latter will be
dictated by their state of preparedness, i.e. by the infrastructure they put together in respect of
their participation in the technology.
F3
AIL an PA BH e tim ene
es Pr tt tnm
