Asathinktank,ESPIhastoprovideinformationandanalysisandto contributefacilitating the decision-making process. The Yearbook isaimed to becomea?agshipinESPI?sproductlineapproachingthisgoal. Theaspirationis thattheYearbookonSpacePolicymaygainthestatureofcomparableyearbooksin internationalrelationsbyleadingthinktanksaroundtheworld. TheYearbookonSpacePolicyhasanumberofspeci?cfeatures. Thereporting periodwillusuallybefromJulytoJune,leadingtoitspublicationinthebeginningof thefollowingyear. Forthis?rstedition,thereportingperiodwassettostartearlier (from1January2006)butstopatthetypicaldate(30June2007). Thisservesthe purposetocoverthewholeyear2006. TheYearbookwillhavethreeparts. The?rst partispreparedbyESPIandprovidesasystematicanalysisofthemainspace v Preface activitiesintheglobalpoliticalcontext. Itcontainsapresentationofthemajor developmentsinspacepolicies,programmesandtechnologiesaroundtheworld. In thesecondpart,usuallyaroundtenprominentresearcherscontributearticlesto speci?ctopicsofparticularrelevance. Inthiseditiontheyarerelatedtoinitiativesand decisionsinEuropeanspacepolicies ¿asindicatedinthisyear?smottoofthe Yearbook¿butalsoglobalissuesliketherecentChineseantisatellitetestorthenew Japanesespaceregulation. ThethirdpartoftheYearbook,againpreparedbyESPI, contains a unique compilation of important facts and ?gures. It includes achronology,anoverviewonspaceactivitiesinselectedcountriesandabibliography. TheprojectofacomprehensiveYearbookrequiresthecooperationofthewhole community. ThisiswhyESPI?sworkforthispublicationiscomplementedbythe contributionsofexternalauthorsprovidingtheirexceptionalinsightsandexperiences. ThesecontributorsfromalloverEuropearetheleadingacademicexpertsmainlybased inthinktanksanduniversityinstituteswhilesomearealsoassociatedwithspace agenciesorworkinindustryorresearchanddevelopment. Theyarepartofthe EuropeanSpacePolicyResearchandAcademicNetwork(ESPRAN)coordinatedby ESPI. ItisimportanttomentionthatalsoexpertsfromoutsideEuropecanbepartof thisnetwo