Leaders of 30 of the world's space agencies want across-the-board cooperation in human and robotic exploration, and terrestrial sharing of the benefits of space technology, in the face of a "flattening" world and increasingly complex global challenges. A Nov. 18 summit in Washington organized by the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) explicitly invites "new and emerging space-faring nations [read India, home to IAA President Madhavan Nair, and China] to cooperation in human space- flight activities in view of the benefits involved and in order to ensure that this becomes a global endeavor." Specifics in the four-page summit declaration include development of a common interoperability policy and common standards and interfaces for international spacecraft; use of robotic explorers as scouts and technology testbeds for human missions beyond low Earth orbit, and use of interoperable systems "for integrated applications aiming at reducing the carbon footprint" of human systems. "[T]he major space countries face budgetary challenges, and politicians and decision-makers face competing priorities," the declaration states. "The result is a need to enlarge the circle of current partners."
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