40 Years of COSPAR [antikvár]

Preface This boollet commemorating forty years of COSPAR's existence is not meant to be an historical account, but a collection of personal reminiscences, rather divergent in style and content, enriched with some photographs and statistical material. The authors include some of the early actors in COSPAR. Several of them shed light on the importance of COSPAR as a meeting place for East and West in space research, but also on the political and diplomatic problems with which this forum was burdened and how they were overcome. Others describe their role in serving the organization, their observations, and sometimes amusing personal experiences. The evolution and reformation of COSPAR, in particular the way in which its officers are elected, is also covered. In summary, although it is far from being a complete and systematic account, it conveys some of the flavour of the role and operation of COSPAR. On behalf of the COSPAR Associates and friends, I would like to express my most sincere thanks to all contributors. Not covered in this booklet are the ongoing efforts to serve COSPAR's community ever better and to become even more attractive to a growing clientele. Just three such developments are: the improvement in quality and speed of publication of Advances in Space Research, COSPAR's main journal; the first steps towards getting industry more actively involved by introducing the concept of 'Associated Supporters'; and, thirdly, the preparatory steps in holding regional workshops for developing nations with the aim of establishing closer ties between scientists in those areas and experienced space researchers willing to share their data and advanced techniques with them. More generally, after having lost its earlier importance as a meeting place for East and West, COSPAR now sees one of its major objectives as promoting space research in developing and new space-faring nations.