Dr. Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu Bio

Dorin Prunariu

LDC 2023 Topic: Recommended Framework and Key Elements for Peaceful and Sustainable Lunar Activities

Abstract:

The near future will see a multitude of lunar missions through the efforts of both space agencies and commercial stakeholders. The current lack of coordination mechanisms for lunar activities presents a serious challenge to future missions and could lead to dangerous conflicts, especially in light of the increased global interest in specific areas like the lunar south pole. The need to preserve the peaceful uses of space, together with the desire to begin a new era of sustainable space exploration, urges the development of a common level playing field for upcoming lunar activities.

The Recommended Framework and Key Elements is designed as a guide for well-balanced lunar projects and offers recommendations for how to implement safe and sustainable lunar activities through norm- setting, coordination, and management. It builds on principles established in international space law, relevant UN outer space treaties and soft law documents.

The Recommended Framework and Key Elements can act both as a guide for designing lunar activities and as a benchmark against which to gauge the success of those activities in achieving sustainability. The Recommended Framework is aimed at providing transparency, accountability, and certainty for all stakeholders, present and future.

Recommended Framework and Key Elements is a living proposal which focuses on lunar activities that are likely to occur in the near and medium terms, within a vision of the long-term expansion of human activities in lunar orbit and on the lunar surface for the benefit of all peoples irrespective of the degree of their economic or scientific development.

Bio:

Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu works as an expert within the Romanian Association for Space Technology and Industry – ROMSPACE and as a member of the Board of the Romanian Space Agency.

In May 1981 Prunariu accomplished an eight-day space flight on board Soyuz-40 spacecraft and Saliut-6 space station.

Prunariu is one of the founding members and former president of the Association of Space Explorers (ASE), was also the President of the Romanian Space Agency (1998-2004), the Ambassador of Romania to the Russian Federation (since 2004), the chair of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) (2010-2012), representative of Romania in the International Relations Committee of the European Space Agency (ESA), Member of the Trustees Board of the International Astronautical Academy, the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Asteroid Foundation, registered in Luxembourg, a special adviser to the “Moon Village Association” (MVA), registered in Vienna, observer member of UN COPUOS, and chair of the Global Experts Group on Sustainable Lunar Activities (GEGSLA), organized by MVA.

Prunariu is a co-author of several books regarding space technology and space flight and has presented/published numerous scientific papers. He earned a degree in aerospace engineering from the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest and a Ph.D. in the field of space flight dynamics. Prunariu is also a Honorary Member of the Romanian Academy, and a Honorary Member of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova.

Prunariu is an Honorary Citizen of several cities and Doctor Honoris Causa of several higher education institutions from Romania, Republic of Moldova, and USA.

An asteroid was named with his name, the asteroid “10707 Prunariu”.

D. Prunariu is married to Crina Prunariu, retired diplomat from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania, former Ambassador of Romania in Armenia. They have two sons and four grandchildren.