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http://www.iucaf.org Just what do the letters IUCAF stand for? • IUCAF used to stand for “Inter-Union Commission on the Allocation of Frequencies for Space Research and Radio Astronomy” • The title was later changed to “Scientific Committee on Frequency Allocations for Radio Astronomy and Space Science” But “IUCAF” had become so well known that it was decided to keep the same acronym. In 1960 ICSU set up the Inter-Union Commission “IUCAF” to work towards keeping parts of the radio spectrum clear for passive, scientific use. • Represents URSI, the IAU and COSPAR at the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). • Formation was partly prompted by the potential threat from Project WEST FORD. (Needles in orbit). • In 1961 CORF was established “to serve as the United States counterpart to IUCAF.” ICSU Delegations from Administrations IT U Radiocommunication Sector IAU URSI RA COSP AR WRC SG 7 IUCAF Radio Regulations National and Regional scientific groups (CORF, CRAF) Studies and Recommendations Delegations from Administrations where (in alphabetical order): CORF Committee on Radio Frequencies COSPAR Committee on Space Research CRAF Committee on Radio Astronomical Frequencies IAU International Astronomical Union ICSU International Council of Scientific Unions ITU International Telecommunication Union IUCAF Inter-Union Commission for the Allocation of Frequencies for Radio Astronomy and Space Science RA Radiocommunication Assembly SG 7 Radiocommunication Study Group7 URSI International Union of Radio Science WRC World Radiocommunication Conference ICSU Delegations from Administrations IT U SG 7 (7D,7E) Radiocommunication Sector IAU URSI RA COSP AR WRC SG 8 (8D) SG 7 SG 4 (4A) … IUCAF Radio Regulations National and Regional scientific groups (CORF, CRAF) Studies and Recommendations Delegations from Administrations where (in alphabetical order): CORF Committee on Radio Frequencies COSPAR Committee on Space Research CRAF Committee on Radio Astronomical Frequencies IAU International Astronomical Union ICSU International Council of Scientific Unions ITU International Telecommunication Union IUCAF Inter-Union Commission for the Allocation of Frequencies for Radio Astronomy and Space Science RA Radiocommunication Assembly SG 7 Radiocommunication Study Group7 URSI International Union of Radio Science WRC World Radiocommunication Conference IUCAF MEMBERSHIP The composition of membership for IUCAF is (April 2002): URSI W.A. Baan M. Davis W. van Driel A. van Eyken P. Poiares Baptista K. Ruf A. Tzioumis IAU S. Ananthkrishnan R.J. Cohen D.T. Emerson (Chair) M. Ohishi K.F. Tapping COSPAR S. Gulkis J. Romney The Netherlands USA France Norway The Netherlands Germany Australia India United Kingdom USA Japan Canada USA USA “IUCAF members had to evolve from being starry-eyed astronomers as they encountered a world of politics, lobbying, entertainment, threats, espionage and bribery. On one occasion, an offer (in Geneva) of two million dollars in cash “to shut up” proved no match for dedication to the joys and excitement of twentiethcentury astrophysics.” Brian Robinson, “Frequency Allocation: The First Forty Years.” Ann Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 1999, 37:65-96