BRICS Astronomy and the United Nations Open Universe Initiative

Abstract The almost universal availability of electronic connectivity, portable devices, and the web is bringing about a major revolution: information of all kinds is rapidly becoming accessible to everyone, transforming social, economic and cultural life practically everywhere in the world. Internet technologies represent an unprecedented and extraordinary two-way channel of communication between producers and users of data. ”Open Universe” is an initiative proposed to the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) and currently in implementation under the leadership of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UN-OOSA). Its primary objective is to stimulate a dramatic increase in the availability and usability of space science data, extending the potential of scientific discovery to new participants in all parts of the world. This paper describes the initiative in general, some of the activities carried out to demonstrate its feasibility, and its use in the context of the BRICS Astronomy Programme.

摘要：电子通信、便携设备与互联网的近乎全域普及正引发一场重大变革：各类信息正快速惠及全球大众，几乎重塑世界各地的社会、经济与文化生活。互联网技术堪称数据生产者与使用者之间前所未有的双向沟通渠道。
“开放宇宙（Open Universe）”是一项提交至联合国和平利用外层空间委员会（COPUOS）的倡议，目前由联合国外层空间事务厅（UN-OOSA）牵头实施。其核心目标是大幅提升空间科学数据的可获取性与易用性，将科学发现的潜力拓展至全球各地的新增参与主体。
本文将对该倡议进行总体介绍，阐述为验证其可行性所开展的部分实践活动，并说明其在金砖国家天文学计划（BRICS Astronomy Programme）框架下的应用情况。