Nasa U-Tapao Project Would Help Us: Gistda

[webfact]

U-TAPAO

Nasa project would help us: Gistda

CHULARAT SAENGPASSA

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Thailand will enjoy many benefits from allowing Nasa, the US space agency, to use the U-Tapao airbase to conduct extensive climate research, a top official at the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (Gistda) said yesterday.

"We will understand weather conditions better and be able to make more accurate forecasts," said Chawalit Silapathong, director of Gistda's Geo-Informatics Centre.

The imaging quality provided by Thailand's Theos satellites would also improve, he said.

"By granting permission to Nasa, Thailand will also prove its commitment to climate research under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change," he pointed out.

Chawalit said a number of Thai researchers would participate in the project. They would come from respected organisations such as Gistda, Chulalongkorn University, the Meteorological Department, Silpakorn University, the Hydrographic Department and |the Bureau of Royal Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation.

Nasa, the US National Aeronau-tics and Space Administration, has been planning to base its Southeast Asia Composition, Cloud, Climate Coupling Regional Study (SEAC4RS) at U-Tapao.

If Thailand approves use of the airport the project will go ahead in August and September.

The operation aims to address key questions about the influence of Asian emissions on clouds, climate and air quality as well as fundamental capacity of satellites to observe the system.

Science observations will focus specifically on the role of the Asian monsoon circulation and convective redistribution in governing upper atmospheric composition and chemistry.

Attention will also be given to the influence of biomass burning and pollution, their temporal evolution, and ultimately the impacts on meteorological processes, which in turn feed back into regional air quality. With respect to meteorological feedback, the opportunity to examine the impact of polluting aerosols on cloud properties and ultimately dynamics will be of particular interest.

"The information from this project will be more detailed than what we have had," Chawalit said.

In response to concerns that the US may be planning to abuse the project for security purposes, Chawalit said a committee would be established to examine all equipment brought in.

"We will ensure that the equipment is for use in climate research only," he said. "A Thai official will always be present on an aircraft deployed by Nasa here."

According to him, Nasa will deploy three aircraft for this project, while Thailand's Royal Bureau of Rainmaking and Agricultural Aviation will provide another.

Chawalit said the project's survey mission would also cover Singapore and Cambodia.

He said Thailand had worked with Nasa before to conduct ground-level surveys. "It's just that we have never made detailed aerial surveys," he said.

-- The Nation 2012-06-20

[retarius]

In response to concerns that the US may be planning to abuse the project for security purposes, Chawalit said a committee would be established to examine all equipment brought in.

"We will ensure that the equipment is for use in climate research only," he said. "A Thai official will always be present on an aircraft deployed by Nasa here."

The US will not allow anyone, least of all a Thai committee, to 'examine' their equipment.

[h90]

In response to concerns that the US may be planning to abuse the project for security purposes, Chawalit said a committee would be established to examine all equipment brought in.

"We will ensure that the equipment is for use in climate research only," he said. "A Thai official will always be present on an aircraft deployed by Nasa here."

The US will not allow anyone, least of all a Thai committee, to 'examine' their equipment.

yes but you can tell that a Thai committee examined their equipment. Who can tell if they really did or not.

[asstro]

My "equipment" is examined by a Thai committee on regular basis...why should NASA be exempt? If they true it they might like it.

[brianP]

The information and high tech imagery will help all scientists to get more intimate with the big picture of our planets climate cycles. And with the cloud seeding and other Thai programs to help agriculture, this can only help Thailand. Anyone finding this offensive against China is pro-China as they don't share any useful information with the world's scientific community, and China is only interested in securing food and resources from as many countries as it possibly can to expand it's swollen masses. Do you think China wants to cooperate with the studies and awareness of the global warming problem, NO. as they are the #1 source of pollution. If USA does virtually nothing for the environs, how can we expect self serving China to anything ?? China already has all the satellites and data of Asia mappings, not gonna help anyone but their military goals!!!

[crobe]

In response to concerns that the US may be planning to abuse the project for security purposes, Chawalit said a committee would be established to examine all equipment brought in.

"We will ensure that the equipment is for use in climate research only," he said. "A Thai official will always be present on an aircraft deployed by Nasa here."

The US will not allow anyone, least of all a Thai committee, to 'examine' their equipment.

ill-informed rubbish

I personally accepted, verified, tested and integrated NASA instrumentation for a satellite project in Europe a few years ago - this meant from the instruments being made in the US industry (such as ITT) all the way through to managing the joint NASA/European team for spacecraft level testing

The Thais will not be able to see any ITAR restricted documentation, but seeing the equipment itself will in no way be out of bounds.

Crobe

[SuneeTH]

Nasa project would help us - - - - apply a visa for my brother Thaksin the Great.

[h90]

The information and high tech imagery will help all scientists to get more intimate with the big picture of our planets climate cycles. And with the cloud seeding and other Thai programs to help agriculture, this can only help Thailand. Anyone finding this offensive against China is pro-China as they don't share any useful information with the world's scientific community, and China is only interested in securing food and resources from as many countries as it possibly can to expand it's swollen masses. Do you think China wants to cooperate with the studies and awareness of the global warming problem, NO. as they are the #1 source of pollution. If USA does virtually nothing for the environs, how can we expect self serving China to anything ?? China already has all the satellites and data of Asia mappings, not gonna help anyone but their military goals!!!

which is complete BS....

When I made my scientific work, there were a lot scientific works I read from China, which was also translated into English. In our department we had one Dr. who did her scientific work in Austria. Full financed from China with the purpose to improve the communication between Chinese and Austrian Universities. So they definitely share their things.

[SOTIRIOS]

I heard that this has all been arranged by 'Mr. T' ...so that he can get a visa to the U.S.A.....anyone else heard the same ???

(I heard it on the news of F.M. 88 )

[BigJohnnyBKK]

I heard that this has all been arranged by 'Mr. T' ...so that he can get a visa to the U.S.A.....anyone else heard the same ???

(I heard it on the news of F.M. 88 )

The yellows have a great PR spin machine going, and many of the same forces that are anti-Thaksin are also in favour of greater alignment with China than the US, for their own business reasons.