AIAA 衛 星 通 信 フ ォ ー ラ ム(AIAA-JFSC) と は ： 設 立 と 活 動What is the AIAA Japan Forum on
Satellite Communications: A ShortHistory

1998 年 2 月 23 日〜27 日に，AIAA
第 17 回通信衛星システム国際会議（17thInternational Communications Satellite
Systems Conference and Exhibit，以下第 17回 ICSSC）がパシフィコ横浜で開催されました．本会議は，32 年間の ICSSCの歴史の中で北米以外で初めて開催される地として我が国が選ばれたものでした．
本会議では，会議テーマを，世界に飛躍するアジアという意味を込めて，"Asiaand the World: Toward 21st Century Satellite Communications Systems"とし，４つの Plenary Session（パネルディスカッション）と 30 の技術セッションにおいて194 件の論文発表が行われました．また，初日のコロキウム，催し物としてバンケット，アワードランチェオン，展示レセプション，横浜市海事広報艇"はまどり"による横浜ベイクルーズ，NTT 横須賀研究開発センターへのテクニカルツアーなどが行われました．展示については，61 社のご協力を得ることができ，ICSSCの歴史の中で最大規模の展示を行うことができました．
参加登録者は予想をはるかに超えて16 か国から 517 名が，また，展示には 2700名を超える人々の来場がありました．特に，外国からの参加者からは，非常によく組織され，素晴らしい会議であるとの評価を頂きました．本会議開催のために財政的に横浜市，財団法人電気通信普及財団，国内関連会社・機関のご援助・ご支援を頂きました．また，開催準備のために，産学官の密接な協力が行われ，特に，産の方々が中心になって自発的に準備が行われました．
AIAA 第 17 回 ICSSC が成功裏に終わったことを受け，このようなアクティビティーを継続するとともに，AIAA の日本およびアジアでの会員を増やし，また，特に若い会員を獲得することにより，
1AIAA’s 17th International Communications Satellite Systems Conference andExhibit (ICSSC) was held in Yokohama,Japan on February 23-27, 1998. Japan wasselected as the site for this conference, atestament to the growing importance that
Asia is playing in the development and implementation of Satellite Communications
Systems. It was the first time in theICSSC’s 32-year history that the conference
was held outside of the North America.
The conference, “Asia and the World:
Toward 21st Century Satellite Communications Systems” was comprised of four plenary sessions which included panel discussions and 30 technical sessions in whichapproximately 194 papers were presented.
Other features included: satellite communications colloquium; exhibit; banquet; awards
luncheon; exhibitor’s reception; Yokohama
Bay cruise aboard the “Hamadori” (Yokohama’s marine activity ship) and a technicaltour of the NTT Yokosuka Research Laboratory. The exhibit was the largest in thehistory of the ICSSC, and included the participation of 61 companies and organizations
from around the world.
In short, the 17th ICSSC was very
successful. The number of registrants far
exceeded expectations totaling 517 from 16countries. Over 2,700 people toured theexhibit. Particularly noteworthy were thenumber of participants from outside Japan
who remarked on how well the conference
was organized. The conference was supported by the City of Yokohama, Telecommunications Advancement Foundation and anumber of space communications companies
and organizations.
Following the success of the 17thICSSC, a proposal was put forth to the 17th
ICSSC Organizing Committee to establish
an AIAA Section in Japan. The primaryobjective in establishing a Section was tocontinue focused and sustained activities

AIAA の活動のより一層の活性化を目的として，AIAA 日本支部を設立してはどうかという提案を第 17 回 ICSSC 組織委員会に行い賛同を得，AIAA 日本支部設立準備委員会を組織して検討を行いました．日本支部の活動は当面，衛星通信分野の活動に焦点を当てることとし，他分野との連携を図っていくこととしました．
AIAA 本部からもこのような日本支部の設立提案を支持する旨のコメントを得ました．
そこで，AIAA 日本支部設立の提案をAIAA の日本人会員の方，約 650 名にお送りし，ご意見を伺いました．その結果，40 名を越える方々からご意見を頂き，そのうちの約 70％の方々からは賛成とともに是非やるべしという励ましを頂いたのですが，約 30％の方々からは反対のご意見を頂きました．特に日本航空宇宙学会の方々を中心に反対意見が寄せられました．反対の理由は、AIAA 日本支部設立の必要性と妥当性に議論の余地がある，設立の動機および参加者が衛星通信分野に偏り航空宇宙分野の普遍性がないというものでした．また、分野によっては日本支部ができると今までやってきた枠組みが崩れるという問題もあることが判明致しました．なお，電子情報通信学会通信ソサイエティには了解して頂きました．
これらのご意見を基に，AIAA 日本支部設立準備委員会において議論した結果，当初計画した活動を一刻も早く開始するため、日本支部ということではなく，衛星通信部門のみでとりあえず活動を開始することがよいとの結論に至りました．
そして AIAA 本部と打ち合わせを行った
結果，具体的には，AIAA の通信システム技術委員会(TCCS)のサブコミティーとしての活動を行うことになりました．
名称としては"AIAA Japan Forum on Satellite Communications -A Subcommittee ofthe TCCS-"（日本名：AIAA 衛星通信フォーラム，略称 AIAA-JFSC）とするこ
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initiated by the 17th ICSSC. It was evident
that in doing so, the establishment of a Section could harness the imagination and driveof the large number of AIAA members inJapan to generate, on an ongoing basis, activities beneficial to a number of aerospacedisciplines. Through organized interaction,
AIAA members in Japan could coordinate
activities locally and with the AIAA Headquarters in the United States of America.
The proposal was accepted in principal by
the Organizing Committee, but required
more detailed discussions with the AIAA
Headquarters.
Although the immediate
activities of AIAA members in Japan would
be focused on Satellite Communications, it
was envisioned that those activities would
eventually be broadened to include otheraerospace disciplines. AIAA Headquarters
was supportive of the proposal, contingent
upon two major points. The first was thatAIAA be allowed to perform its due diligence in discussing the issue with the Japan
Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences(JSASS). The second was that a plan be
developed to expand Section activities andgovernance to include participation byAIAA members from other aerospace disciplines.
As a next step, the proposal to establish an AIAA Section was circulated to anumber of AIAA members in Japan (approximately 650) for their comments. Input was received from roughly 40 AIAAmembers.
Approximately 70% of thecomments strongly favored such a proposal,
while 30% expressed some form of reservation toward the idea. The opposition’s
most oft cited reasons toward the proposal
came from members who believed that there
had been insufficient discussion on the merits and benefits of establishing an AIAA
Section in Japan. The second most prevalent reason was the apparent lack of representation of other aerospace disciplines in its
governing body, noting the strong bias toward the Satellite Communications industry
in the Section’s creation. The proposal wasapproved by the Communication Society,
Institute of Electronics, Information andとと致しました．そして，1998 年 11 月
20 日に TCCS が開催され，満場一致でこの方針が承認されました．なお，AIAA本部としては是非 AIAA 日本支部を立ち上げたいという希望を持っております．
AIAA 衛星通信フォーラムの活動としては，毎年，単独または共催で通信衛星関連展示会と研究発表ワークショップを開催するとともに，機関誌（隔月刊和文英文誌 Space Japan Review）の発行，各種会員支援活動，を行っております．
さらに，2003 年 4 月 15〜19 日に AIAA
第 21 回 ICSSC がパシフィコ横浜で開催されることになり準備が進んでおります．
引き続き，AIAA 衛星通信フォーラムにご理解・ご支援をよろしくお願い致します．

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Communication Engineers (IEICE), Japan.
Based upon comments received bysurvey respondents, members of the Exploratory Committee for the Establishment ofan AIAA Japan Section concluded that theCommittee would focus its activities exclusively upon the satellite communicationsindustry in Japan. As a result of in-depth
discussions with the AIAA Headquarters, it
was determined that these, more focused
activities could be performed under the rubric of a subcommittee of AIAA’s TechnicalCommittee on Communication Systems(TCCS) without going through the processof establishing a Section. The organization-in its current form- is named the AIAA Japan Forum on Satellite Communications: A
Subcommittee of the TCCS (AIAA-JFSC).
The plan was approved unanimously at theNovember 20, 1998 meeting of the AIAATCCS in Washington, DC.
Currently, proposed activities of theAIAA-JFSC include exhibits, workshops forresearch paper presentations sponsored orco-sponsored with other organizations on anannual basis. In addition to these activities,
the magazine “Space Japan Review” will beissued bi-monthly both in Japanese andEnglish.
Furthermore, AIAA 21st ICSSC will
be held on April 15-19, 2003 at the Pacifico
Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan and muchwork is now doing for its preparation.
We are looking forward to your understanding and support of the AIAA-JFSC’sActivities.