Applications of Space Developments : Selected Papers from the XXXI International Astronautical Congress, Tokyo, 21 - 28 September 1980

Applications of Space Developments covers the proceedings of the 31st Annual Congress of the International Astronautical Federation on Applications of Space Developments, held in Tokyo, Japan. The contributors consider the significant achievements and activities in Japan in the main areas of space applications, such as telecommunications, earth and ocean observation, materials sciences, and space processes.This book is organized into 22 chapters, which reflect the four main areas covered in the Annual Congress, including Earth-Oriented Applications of Space Technology, Earth Observations, Low-Gravity Environment, and Communication Satellites. The first chapters deal with the monitoring of earth and ocean energy resources, earth satellite power stations, energy conversion and transfer, structure technology, system fabrication and assembly of large space structures, and, nuclear waste disposal in space. The succeeding chapters are devoted to weather satellites, earth and ocean dynamics, earth and atmosphere pollution, payloads for earth and ocean observations, data analysis. These topics are followed by discussions on the theoretical and experimental aspects of microgravity materials, fluid and life sciences, the simulation of microgravity environment on earth, the effects of weightlessness on man, and the earth applications of space experiments. The concluding chapters survey the operational, experimental, and communication satellites systems, with emphasis on economic aspects and on the prospects of TV satellites. This book will prove useful to space scientists and technologists, astronomers, and satellite and communications engineers.