Spacepolicyisanissueareaofparticularstrategicrelevance. Itreceivesaconstantly growingattentionbynationalgovernmentsandtheEuropeanUnion. Ittouches numerousimportantareaslikesecurity,science,technology,knowledge,infor- tion,mobility,environmentorresourcemanagement,tonameonlyafew. Through this,spacepolicydrawsfrombutalsodrivesthemostdecisiveaspectsofmodern society. Anillustrationforthisstatementcanbegivenwithabrieflookonrecent developmentsinspacepolicy. InparticulartheadoptionoftheEuropeanSpace PolicyinMay2007,whichhadbeenjointlypreparedbytheEuropeanSpaceAgency andtheEuropeanCommission,doeshaveatremendousimpactonareasbene?ting fromspaceapplications,likeclimateresearch,disastermanagementorresource management. TheEuropeanSpacePolicywillalsopushareaslikenavigationor telecommunications,whichareattheheartoftheknowledgesocietyandtheme- issueofmobility. Atthesametime,securityinallitsfacetsisgrowinglydependingon theuseofspacecapabilitiesandspacepolicymakinghasstartedtore?ectthis. Onthe globallevel,theinitiativesforroboticandhumanspaceexplorationgainmoreand moreprominenceandwithactorslikeChina,arenaissanceofspaceasastrategictool forinternationalprestigeandin?uencecanbeobserved. Thecharacterofspacepolicyandthedynamisminthis?eldanditsrelatedareas makeitappropriateandevennecessarytosurveythis?eldonacontinuousbasiswith ahighstandard. ThisreasoningwasthebasisfortheinitiativebytheEuropeanSpace PolicyInstitute(ESPI)topreparetheYearbookonSpacePolicy. TheYearbookis intended to become the reference publication for the analysis of space policy developments. ThescopeisglobalbuttheperspectiveisEuropean. Thiscoincides withESPI?smissiontobethefocalpointforEuropeanresearchinthe?eldofspace policyasprovidedforbythedecisionoftheCounciloftheEuropeanSpaceAgency tofoundESPI. Asathinktank,ESPIhastoprovideinformationandanalysisandto contributefacilitating the decision-making process. The Yearbook isaimed to becomea?agshipinESPI?sproductlineapproachingthisgoal. Theaspirationis thattheYearbookonSpacePolicymaygainthestatureofcomparableyearbooksin internationalrelationsbyleadingthinktanksaroundtheworld. TheYearbookonSpacePolicyhasanumberofspeci?cfeatures. Thereporting periodwillusuallybefromJulytoJune,leadingtoitspublicationinthebeginningof thefollowingyear. Forthis?rstedition,thereportingperiodwassettostartearlier (from1January2006)butstopatthetypicaldate(30June2007). Thisservesthe purposetocoverthewholeyear2006. TheYearbookwillhavethreeparts. The?rst partispreparedbyESPIandprovidesasystematicanalysisofthemainspace v Preface activitiesintheglobalpoliticalcontext. Itcontainsapresentationofthemajor developmentsinspacepolicies,programmesandtechnologiesaroundtheworld. In thesecondpart,usuallyaroundtenprominentresearcherscontributearticlesto speci?ctopicsofparticularrelevance. Inthiseditiontheyarerelatedtoinitiativesand decisionsinEuropeanspacepolicies asindicatedinthisyear?smottoofthe YearbookbutalsoglobalissuesliketherecentChineseantisatellitetestorthenew Japanesespaceregulation. ThethirdpartoftheYearbook,againpreparedbyESPI, contains a unique compilation of important facts and ?gures. It includes achronology,anoverviewonspaceactivitiesinselectedcountriesandabibliography. TheprojectofacomprehensiveYearbookrequiresthecooperationofthewhole community. ThisiswhyESPI?sworkforthispublicationiscomplementedbythe contributionsofexternalauthorsprovidingtheirexceptionalinsightsandexperiences. ThesecontributorsfromalloverEuropearetheleadingacademicexpertsmainlybased inthinktanksanduniversityinstituteswhilesomearealsoassociatedwithspace agenciesorworkinindustryorresearchanddevelopment. Theyarepartofthe EuropeanSpacePolicyResearchandAcademicNetwork(ESPRAN)coordinatedby ESPI. ItisimportanttomentionthatalsoexpertsfromoutsideEuropecanbepartof thisnetwork. ThisishighlightedbythecontributionofJohnLogsdon(George WashingtonUniversity,WashingtonDC),oneofthedoyensinspacepolicyresearch. Invo

The Year in Space 2006/2007.- European space activities in the global context.- Developments in space policies programmes and technologies throughout the world and in Europe.- Views and Insights.- The Cabal Report of the French Parliament on space policy A blueprint for European space ambitions or another cry in the wilderness?.- The new UK approach.- Whats the problem with Europes flagships Galileo and GMES?.- The new European Space Policy as seen from across the Atlantic.- The U.S. missile defence programme.- Controlling the freedom of using space: the White House Space Policy dilemma.- Chinas ASAT test A warning shot or the beginning of an arms race in space?.- Basic law for space activities: Anew space policy for Japan for the 21st century.- The IPCC report In need of Earth observations.- Space entrepreneurship Status& prospects.- Facts and Figures.- Chronology: January 2006June 2007.- Countries profiles.- Bibliography of space policy publications. January 2006June 2007.