Access to Space: Capacity-building for development through experiment and payload opportunities.

Abstract The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs has developed a comprehensive set of capacity-building activities and associated partnerships providing access to experimental facilities on ground and to a wide range of Low Earth Orbit platforms. These opportunities are available to applicants from high-school to university level, as well as other research, governmental and inter-governmental institutions. This is a unique approach to space capacity-building, away from the traditional classroom or lecture methods, aimed at developing and emerging economies, as well as encouraging cooperation with agencies and institutions from developed nations. This paper summarizes the series of activities and related programmatic and roadmap of the Office. Highlights • The Office for Outer Space Affairs provides capacity-building in space technologies. • Experiment and payload opportunities with increasing complexity are available. • Opportunities include microgravity experiments on ground and in orbit. • Activities aim at facilitating access to space to developing and emerging countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]