Parabolic Arc

ISTA PRESENTATION from Ista Space on Vimeo.

ISTA PRESS RELEASE

Today at the international conference ‘The regulation of suborbital flights in the European context’ – with members of EU, NASA and ESA present – trade organization ISTA has been launched. One of the main goals of the International Space Transport Association is to facilitate the development of new regulations for the commercial space industry, which will help establish a more precise responsibility and liability structure, in line with UN resolution 2222-XXI Art VI*.

“Commercial space has an annual global turnover of 120 billion euro and is one of the fastest growing markets. This makes a global trade organization necessary”, says Ronald Heister, director general of ISTA. “Space enables enormous possibilities to improve life on earth. An industry that explores these new frontiers needs regulation alongside stimulation. ISTA will help influence and advise governments and safety organizations in the drafting of new space legislation.”

Ronald Heister (The Netherlands) and Sergio Figueira (Portugal), upon the initiative of the latter, created ISTA “Many people look at commercial space as a toy for the elite rich. This is exactly how we looked at air traffic one hundred years ago. Nowadays, we buy low fare tickets and the airline industry is a part of many people’s lives. With a current annual turnover of a global 120 billion Euros [according to TNO**] the development of commercial space will go quicker than the way commercial airlines did in the past decennia.” Commercial space development will also help the sustainability of life on Earth.

ISTA will focus on safety, environment, legislation and education around space to grow the space industry in a responsible way. “Think for instance about energy production, long term solutions in health care, and the further growth of products and services around the space industry in general, in which ISTA would like to play an active role in.”

According to Heister, “ISTA has also been created to inspire and inform the public about commercial space. General knowledge, education, training, promotion and communication on and about the commercial space industry are vital elements of the public duties of ISTA. In addition, the general public often doesn’t know what’s available to them, because governmental bodies are often focused on their national programs, whereas the commercial industry has so much more to offer.”

The worldwide development of space ports, space lines, space agents, space hotels and space stations require the need for an independent, international association which can bring all stakeholders together. It is ISTA’s objective to maximize sustainable growth of the space travel industry and its spinoff markets and to raise awareness amongst existing and new commercial space consumers and the general public to support and promote the industry.

The air traffic industry has two renowned international trade organizations with IATA (International Air Transport Association) and IAPA (International Airline Passengers Association), who have helped to create global regulation within the industry.

“It was also in Holland that last century, IATA`s predecessor was created”, explains Heister. “It is a small country that achieves great accomplishments! With ISTA we’d like to accomplish similar activities for space. The industry gives us enormous opportunities to facilitate even more economical growth in size and value. For stakeholders, working together is vital and essential, certainly for an industry which has been dominated by the public sector.”

International Space Transport Association (ISTA) is located in The Hague. Before its official launch today, businesses and organizations from countries like Canada, United States of America, Japan, Russia, India, Mexico, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Sweden, Spain, Portugal , Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Australia, Brazil and Hong Kong have joined ISTA as members or strategic partners.

* UNITED NATIONS Resolution 2222 – XXI (1967): Art. VI. “States shall bear international responsibility for national activities in outer space ….. The activities of NON-GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES in outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, shall require authorization and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty. When activities are carried on in outer space by an INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION, responsibility for compliance with this Treaty shall be borne both by the organization and by the States Parties to the Treaty participating in such organization.”

** source TNO: http://www.tno.nl/images/shared/overtno/magazine/tno_mag_4_mei_2010_6_9.pdf

Editor’s Note: In looking through the biographies of people who are involved, a number of them seem to be Virgin Galactic Accredited Space Agents who are authorized to market suborbital trips aboard SpaceShipTwo. The idea for the organization seems to have come out of a meeting of Virgin Galactic’s ASAs.

The press release mentions that a number of companies and organizations have signed up as members and strategic partners, but the websites doesn’t mention any groups by name.

The site does indicate that Brienna Henwood, director of Commercial Business at National Aerospace Training and Research (NASTAR) Center, is an ISTA commissioner.

Ronald Heister Biography
ISTA Director-General

Ronald (14 July 1965, Nijmegen, Netherlands) studied in communications & marketing. He started his career working for nationwide public television & radio in the Netherlands. Among others things, Ronald presented the daily news on radio as well as popular nationwide entertainment programmes. His experience in communication with complex politic issues was value added to the City of Amsterdam, where he was appointed Director of Communications to the Mayor & Aldermen.  In that position, Ronald Heister, along with others, was involved with the organization of the marriage between HRH the Crown Prince of the Netherlands and HRH Princess Maxíma and was granted a Medal of Honor by Her Majesty the Queen.

Ronald Heister is the founder of his own Public Relations company, based in Amsterdam. The General Assembly of the Amsterdam Association for Communication Specialists (VSA) appointed Ronald to its Chairman.

In 2008 Ronald was appointed Accredited Space Agent for Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic and also founded Your Galaxy, the first travel agency specialized in space tourism in the Benelux. It was during a Space Conference that fellow Accredited Space Agent Dr. Sergio Figueira (Portugal) was asked to develop a global, overarching platform to provide services and products to the commercial space business as a whole. He then asked Ronald Heister to co-operate in creating a global sustainable stakeholders platform.

By invitation of Virgin Galactic, Sergio Figueira and Ronald Heister shared their vision with an international forum of commercial space stakeholders at the Global Space Forum 2009 held in the USA. The idea of an independent non-profit commercial space Association was received most enthusiastically and the majority of people present announced their willingness to become a member. Then and there the objectives of the ‘International Space Transport Association (ISTA)’ were determined.

In 2010,  the International Space Transport Association is established as an Association with its office in the City of The Hague, Netherlands. Ronald Heister is appointed as ISTA’s Director-General. In that position, it is Ronald’s main mission to improve life on earth and beyond by maximizing the economic potential in a sustainable way of the international commercial space industry.

Sérgio Figueira
ISTA Council Secretary
Portugal

Sérgio Figueira was born in Porto, Portugal on May 2, 1960. With a degree in Law, he has worked as Lawyer & Journalist for more than 20 years. As a journalist, he worked for the Portuguese television hosting several shows. As a lawyer, he worked with several companies as a law consultant both nationally and internationally. He was the first Portuguese lawyer registered in Holland, where he worked with an international law firm, and also as a consultant to the Portuguese Embassy in The Hague.

Sérgio Figueira currently holds the position of Director of Caminho das Estrelas, the first European company specialized in space tourism and he is a Virgin Galactic Accredited Space Agent. Sérgio is also Communication Director for DouroAzul, the leading river cruise company in Portugal. He has been involved with ISTA, a project he started with Ronald Heister, where he is the General Secretary of the Advisory Board.