The World Space Observatory Project is a new space mission concept, grown out of the needs of the Astronomical community to have access to the part of the electromagnetic spectrum where all known physics can be studied on all possible time scales: the Ultraviolet range. The physical diagnostics in this domain supply a richness of new experimental data unmatched by any other wavelength range, for the studies of the Universe.
As WSO/UV has been driven by the needs of scientists from many different countries, a new implementation model was needed to bring the World Space Observatory to reality. The WSO/UV consists of a single Ultraviolet Telescope in orbit, incorporating a primary mirror of 1.7 m diameter. The WSO/UV System is being developed and studied to make this exciting research possible through the implementation of the WSO/UV mission and assure that it is available to scientists from all countries in the World.
The developments needed to make the anticipated launch of WSO/UV possible in 2007 are led by an open international committee of scientists the World Space Observatory Implementation Committee (WIC).
As the WSO is an international endeavor, information is distributed over those institutes where specific expertise is concentrated. Therefore not all information on WSO is contained in a single web site. This site deals mainly with the scientific and project aspects of WSO. The technical details are concentrated in T¨¹bingen at the IAAT, while the historical aspects of WSO are mainly concentrated at the UN/ESA website.
Specific National aspects of countries actively participating in the building of the WSO/UV System are associated with the National WSO/UV Working Groups (NWWG) and have their own associated websites, in national language.
[Supported by INTA/LAEFF]
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