The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) announced that it will launch its first space mission five years from now.
The announcement was made at the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico recently. The purpose of this project is to give a chance to the nations that do not have their own space programs to fly payloads and do their own experiments in microgravity.
UNOOSA is looking forward to a two-week long flight to low-Earth orbit with Sierra Nevada Corporation's (SNC) 30-foot-long Dream Chaser space plane. It is a reusable spacecraft that can carry up to seven crewmembers to low-Earth orbit destinations, including the International Space Station.
The mission welcomes any member of the United Nations. Motherboard reported that UNOOSA is accepting proposals "on anything from developing materials that resist corrosion in space to studying climate change and food security." UNOOSA will select the payloads in 2018.
"One of UNOOSA's core responsibilities is to promote international cooperation in the peaceful use of outer space," said Simonetta Di Pippo, director of UNOOSA.
Di Pippo said the project is one of the ways to promote international cooperation through a microgravity mission open to all UN members. This will benefit those members that do not have the infrastructure and budget for their own space program.
The countries selected to provide the payloads will cover a portion of the cost, but UNOOSA is already looking for sponsors who will cover the majority of the expenses.
This project excites many as this will not only foster cooperation among nations but will also serve as a door for discoveries that might be beneficial to humanity.
