The National Aerospace Research and Development Commission (CONIDA)

The National Aerospace Research and Development Commission (CONIDA) of Peru has signed a cooperation agreement with the Indian Space Agency and is about to sign a similar agreement with the Space Agency of the Russian Federation. In this way, CONIDA is seeking to establish closer links with space agencies in other countries through international cooperation and technical assistance programmes that will make it possible to make use of new knowledge in this area and the latest advances in space technology.

In this connection, the small satellite programme currently being implemented by CONIDA will at a future stage receive support and assistance from two major international space agencies.

The impetus given by the Government of Peru to space activities has indirectly promoted the acquisition of specialized skills in space technologies by professional persons. In this connection, the CONIDA Centre for Space Studies is providing advanced training courses for public and private sector professionals in different aspects of remote sensing technology, digital processing of satellite images, geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS). A total of 258 professionals received specialized training in 1998 and 262 in 1999.

Under an agreement concluded between the National University of Engineering (UNI) of Peru and CONIDA, a master's degree programme is being conducted in aeronautical engineering with non-manned vehicles as a special field of study to provide postgraduate tuition in this area to professional engineers and scientists. The first group of participants in this programme is expected to graduate in March 2001.

The widespread use of Earth observation satellite images has provided the competent authorities with improved information about the situation in the country regarding the impact of natural disasters, with a view to maximizing the utilization of natural resources.

The National Aerospace Research and Development Commission of Peru (CONIDA) is undergoing a process of restructuring, since it has become apparent that, in recent years, notwithstanding the signing of a number of international agreements aimed at international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space, in none of those cases has international cooperation actually materialized. Consequently, the work of the new administration is focusing on the reactivation of earlier agreements that are still in force, as is the case with India and the Russian Federation, and to approach other Member States, namely Argentina, Brazil and Chile, with the same end in view.

CONIDA has held an informal exploratory meeting with India, through its Embassy, with a view to reactivating the memorandum of understanding signed with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), which expired on 30 April 2003. An agreement was reached to hold a further coordination meeting in the near future, at a date to be fixed by the Indian Embassy.

Two informal meetings have been held with the Russian Federation, through its Embassy, with the aim of reviving the memorandum of understanding signed by the Russian Aviation and Space Agency (in force) and reactivating the Convention on Scientific, Technological and Educational Cooperation (in force), signed by the Tsiolkovsky State Technological and Aerospace University (MATI).

In the course of a series of talks held with the supreme commands of the different air forces in Latin America, CONIDA has made contact with the Chile Space Agency. An agreement was reached that a delegation of CONIDA officials would be received in Santiago during the first quarter of 2004 for the purpose of visiting the installations of the Chile Space Agency and exchanging views on opportunities for mutual cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.

CONIDA has contacted the National Commission for Space Activities (CONAE) in Argentina, which has indicated its willingness to visit Lima with a delegation of Argentine professionals in order to strengthen ties of mutual cooperation on scientific and technological subjects relating to the peaceful uses of outer space.

Following discussions with a representative of the Institute of Aeronautics and Space at the Aerospace Technology Centre in Brazil on the occasion of his visit to CONIDA, a letter of presentation was addressed to the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), expressing CONIDA's wish to discuss the possibility of concluding agreements on mutual cooperation in space matters.

Owing to budgetary constraints, CONIDA was unable to attend the working meetings of the drafting group for the convention on the establishment of an Asia-Pacific space cooperation organization, held in Thailand from 4 to 8 August 2003. However, CONIDA considers its participation of the utmost importance as a means of bringing Peru closer to the international aerospace science community and the establishment of the cooperation necessary to enable it to initiate aerospace research and development activities in Peru in areas related to the peaceful uses of outer space.