Many countries of various regions of the world have established or are going to establish Regional Space Cooperation Organizations (RSCO). One of its objectives is to jointly develop space technology and share its applications since space technology is high technology, high cost and high ris. RSCO is going to make a project-based strategic development plan for the future prospect. In order to implement its projects, there is a need to work out the space standard system to guide and control project development.

Many space organizations have established their space standard systems, such as European Space Agency (ESA), International Organization for Standardization (ISO), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), China National Space Administration (CNSA) etc.. From its establishment in 1980 to 1993, ESA has developed the Procedures, Standards and Specifications (PSS) for use in space activities. From 1993, European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS) has been developed to replace PSS and some other European space standards. The objective of ECSS is to develop a unified European space standard system. ECSS composes the top level of standards, three branches of standards: space project management standards (ECSS-M), space product assurance standards (ECSS-Q), and space engineering standards (ECSS-E). In addition, there are also handbooks (ECSS-HB) and technical memorandums (ECSS-TM). ISO has about 230 technical committees for developing standards. Among them, TC-20 is responsible for developing standards in the area of aircraft and space vehicles. Subcommittees of SC/13 and SC/14 of TC- 20 are responsible for developing space standards.

This paper describes the importance, guiding principles of establishing the space standard system, its concept tradeoff, RSCO standardization organization structure, standard development, application and maintenance processes etc..

As above-mentioned, all of main space organizations in the world have created the space standard systems based on their missions and environ- ments with great efforts. Also RSCO should establish a space standard system based on following reasons:

·The space standard system is the important tool to guarantee successes of space projects;

·The system may assure quality, reliability and safety of space project developments;

·The development of standard system and standards may bring enormous economic benefits for member countries;

·The standard system and standards can promote technical communication and exchanges among member countries;

·The standard system can promote the implementation of RSCO objectives and developments of space technology and its application of member countries;and

·The standard system can guide risk management activities of RSCO space project development.

Therefore, RSCO should make best efforts for the establishment of its space standard system taking its advantage of "late-start".

Objectives

RSCO space standards will be devel oped according to its space standard system in a planned and organized manner step by step. It will apply to RSCO various space activities in order to assure quality, reliability, safety, cost effective, schedule reduction, low risk and environment protection.

It will provide a communication platform among member countries and their space industrial enterprises to promote their cooperation and exchange, and to mutually provide technical supports, equipment and services.

Through encouraging participations of member countries in development of the system and standards, and application of the standards in their space activities, the space technology and its application of member countries could be better developed.

Guiding Principles and Policies

The following principles and policies should guide its establishment process:

·RSCO space standard system should be an important basis for cooperation among member countries, and promote and strengthen the development of the space cooperation projects;

·In the development of the standard system and standards, it should widely call participations of member countries. These are basic and effective activities which could promote the progress of space technology and its applications of member countries;

·All results should be shared by member countries;

·The standard system should be beneficial to promote the industrialization of space technology and its application in member countries;

·In the development process, it should closely cooperate with international organizations and space enterprises. The standards should be beneficial to effectively implement the project initiated by RSCO, i.e. in conditions of high quality, pursuing low cost and short schedule;

·All member countries have priority to participate in the development and have equal rights to apply the system and standards in their national space industry;

·The system should be compatible with important international space standard system, and the national space standard system of member countries, and as far as possible adopt their space standards appropriate to RSCO, especially those developed by ISO and ESA.