COSPAR 2025 Symposium

A0.1 Earth Observation Open Session 

The Earth is subject to global warming and climate change that is impacting humanity and biodiversity. Satellites contribute to a better understanding of the Earth System and to predicting extreme events and hazards while tackling scientific challenges. This session welcomes abstracts on space technology for Earth observation, innovation, artificial intelligence and the design of sustainable solutions. This session emphasizes the importance of monitoring Earth’s system to understand human impacts and support sustainability. Topics include atmospheric science, ocean circulation, coastal hazards, water cycle, floods and droughts, water quality, vegetation and the carbon cycle, biodiversity, land use changes, natural disasters and extreme events, data assimilation, satellite-UAV synergy, and future missions to address global environmental challenges. Contributions from large international working groups, e.g., CEOS-COAST-VC and GEO Blue Planet, engaged in co-designing solutions to enhance Earth Observation data products to bridge the gap between observations, scientific knowledge and decision-makers’ needs.

B0.1   Sponsoring, Enabling, and Operating Global Facilities and Services for New Space Entrepreneurs

Building on the success of the B3.2 Scientific Event at the COSPAR 45 Assembly in Busan, this Scientific Event brings together Science and New Space participants to provide research ideas, mission designs, and new operating practices to be supported by a global consortia of New Space entrepreneurs and researchers, together with Industry, Space Agencies and global sponsors and supporters including the World Economic Forum. The Event will specifically address how space exploration and technology can offer solutions to global challenges including new avenues of resource development, opportunities in better understanding the impacts of space weather in the Earth-Moon system, and new means of mitigating the risks of climate change, in pursuing Frontier space exploration science and technologies. Importantly, this Event will highlight the Technology Gaps that Space science can address by collaborating and partnering with New Space entrepreneurs, in collaboration with the COSPAR Associates community, and established Space agency and Industry players. In particular, we hope to discover and add practical layers to how COSPAR’s new Centres of Excellence can act as a key fulcrum for a wider variety of New Space players and sponsors to expand both the boundaries and benefits of new scientific Frontier Space Exploration, while helping create the means and interest to support it.

C0.1 Multi-instrumental Approach as a Mitigation Strategy for Space Weather Hazard

Space weather refers to the variations in the Sun, solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere, which can affect the performance of a wide range of space-borne and ground-based technological systems and pose a danger to human health and safety. Space weather is mainly driven by extreme solar events such as Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), Solar Flares (SFs) and Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs). CMEs are known to induce intense Geomagnetic Storms (GSs). Communication satellites in high orbits, power grids, as well as oil and gas pipelines on the ground can be adversely impacted during intense GS. Particularly, the exposure and threat to power grids and pipelines depends on the magnitude of Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GICs), which represent the end of the chain of an extreme space weather event, ranging from the Sun to the surface of the Earth. In addition, storm-time perturbations in the ionosphere affect high-frequency (HF) radio communication and GNSS navigation signals, and enhance satellite orbital drag effects in low-Earth orbit (LEO, <1000 km altitude), possibly causing track uncertainties and eventually the downfall of satellites. It is to be noted that fast halo CMEs are often associated with SEPs which can pose a momentous radiation hazard for astronauts and equipment in space. Clearly, the aftermath of a severe space weather event could be quite devastating, particularly in this era of humanity’s increase reliance on critical GNSS technologies. A multi-instrumental approach, by using ground-based observations (magnetometers, magnetotelluric stations, ionospheric sounders, GNSS receivers, etc.), LEO satellite (AMPERE, Swarm, CSES, etc.) measurements, and both magnetospheric (GOES, MMS, Geotail, etc.) and interplanetary satellites (ACE, Wind, DISCOVR), is not only fundamental to enhancing our understanding of the physics driving the changes in the geospace environment, but also important in the development of mitigating strategies vis-à-vis future space weather impact on critical engineering system and infrastructure.

C0.2 Impact Assessment of Extreme Space Weather Events of 2024 on the Near Earth Space Environment and Technological Systems

Space weather refers to a multitude of phenomena occurring at the sun, interplanetary medium, magnetosphere, ionosphere, thermosphere over periods ranging from hours to years. These naturally occurring processes have the potential to adversely affect the performance and reliability of space-borne and ground-based technological systems and can endanger several facets of human life. Recent extreme space weather events occurred in May and October 2024 triggered severe modifications in the geospace environment leading to G5 and G4 class geomagnetic storms respectively. The space weather event of May 2024 comprises of 11 X class flares and most powerful coronal mass ejection resulting the strongest geomagnetic storm of the past two decades. There was a remarkable impact of these two space weather events, with auroras observed worldwide extending up to low latitudes demonstrating a significant solar-terrestrial coupling. Severe disruptions were also experienced by the ground and satellite based technologies worldwide during these storms. These space weather events provide a unique opportunity to explore the complex processes in the Solar-Wind-Magnetosphere-Thermosphere-Ionosphere system to understand and formulate mitigation strategies to cater the needs of ever increasing technological applications. Papers are invited in this session which is focussed to discuss the impacts of the above two space weather events on the geospace environment at varied spatio-temporal scales using ground and satellite based observations and model simulations including AI/ML techniques. Also, papers addressing the implications of these events on the space assets, satellite anomalies, operations and performance of ground and satellite based technologies are encouraged.

D0.1 Existing and Future Solar and Heliospheric Missions for Heliophysics Sciences and Space Weather Applications

The recent space weather events which occurred in May and October 2024 triggered a lot of interest in the scientific community but also in the media. In addition to the production of a strong geomagnetic storm which led to adverse effects on our technological assets on the Earth as well as to some beautiful auroras extending to low latitudes, these space weather events also impacted Mars and other planets. To address the concern of space weather, a number of spacecraft are now in operation to monitor the Sun and heliosphere from multiple viewpoints. In the coming decade, several new solar and heliospheric missions are planned or studied to provide routine observations off -the-Sun-Earth-Line from vantage points such as Sun-Earth- Lagrange points (L5 and L4). Together with observations from the Sun-Earth line (at L1), as well as from near-Earth space and from ground-based instruments, these missions can provide a stereoscopic view of the solar atmosphere and of the heliosphere. While the ESA VIGIL mission at L5 is a dedicated space weather mission, other scientific missions at L1 or L4 will also be used for space weather applications. Missions at L5 and L4 provide respectively interesting points of view for early warnings of emerging solar activity, improved forecast of arrival of coronal mass ejections on one hand and on the other hand better warning for solar radiation events at the earth but also relevant for lunar and mars exploration. The aim of the session would be first to present the latest results of the development at the sun and in the heliosphere of the extreme space weather events in 2024 (including the radiation effects and the impact at other planets). The session also aims at providing an overview of current and planned space weather missions and foster discussion on international coordination for the new missions.

PCSS.1 Ensuring a Sustainable Future in Low Earth Orbit

The rapid proliferation of LEO spacecraft and the staggering levels of LEO space debris threaten to make portions of near-Earth space virtually unusable. There need to be clear policy directives put in place to address the challenges arising in this regard. There could be several directions taken: (1) Industry self-regulation and policing; (2) Leadership by a major space player (such as the U.S.); or (3) Effective management by an international body (such as the U.N.). This special session considers what additional actions could address the ongoing need to effectively, efficiently, and rapidly bring the best and most needed approaches into play. This is a matter of gravest concern for our rapidly evolving technological society.

PEX.1 Sciences and Strategic Knowledge for Robotic and Human Exploration

This event will welcome solicited and contributed talks addressing the science enabled by and needed for robotic and human exploration .

Part 1: From Earth orbit to Moon, Mars, asteroids – robotic science missions towards future human exploration

Part 2: Outer solar system science, robotic exploration and international collaboration

The event will particularly welcome oral and poster contributions presenting science results from recent space missions, instruments and missions in preparation, knowledge gaps for future robotic and human exploration, innovative and sustainable approaches. We shall put emphasis on interdisciplinary activities involving various COSPAR commissions and panels, and on multiple stakeholders’ initiatives with international, academic, commercial and public-private partnerships. The SOC will include representatives from COSPAR Commissions/Panels indicated below, as well as from Agencies (ESA, NASA, national), Industries, Academies and organisations (IAF, IAA, UN COPUOS, EGU, Europlanet, ILEWG, IMEWG, ISECG, LEAG, MEPAG, OPAG)

PEX.2 Emerging Technologies for Exploration and Benefits for Earth

Lunar and Deep Space exploration are enabled by a broad range of key technologies that cover a diversity of functions, from basic transportation, propulsion, energy and telecommunications to advanced systems for remote or human-tended science operations on lunar and planetary surfaces, for in situ utilisation of local resources and for closed-loop life support systems for astronauts.

In the vision of COSPAR PEX, promoting a sustainable and environment-friendly exploration program should go together with a maximum use of emerging technologies inherited from, or that can be used for, a sustainable management of resources and environment on our own planet.

In this Event, we will welcome presentations of all types of technologies needed for future robotic and human exploration, with special emphasis on technologies that will benefit to a better environmental stewardship of our planet.

PEX.3 Building the New COSPAR Exploration Roadmap: Towards an Environmentally Responsible and Sustainable Approach to Solar System Exploration

This workshop will welcome solicited and contributed talks addressing the major scientific and technological achievements, benefits and challenges of robotic and human exploration for the next 20 years, for discussion by the COSPAR community assembled in Nicosia. It will be a key milestone in the preparation of the new COSPAR Exploration Roadmap to be presented at the 2026 COSPAR Assembly in Florence. The workshop will particularly welcome oral and poster contributions presenting innovative approaches to the challenges of sustainability and environmental stewardship in planetary exploration. Communications addressing the benefits of international and public-private partnerships in meeting these challenges will be particularly welcome.

PPP.1 Planetary Protection

This session will include reports on recent COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection (PPP) activities, planetary protection studies by scientists and agencies, and colloquia/workshops with relevance to planetary protection and in general and the COSPAR Policy and implementation guidelines. The overall Policy perspective will be presented, as well as recent adaptations and updates of the Policy proposed by the PPP and validated by the COSPAR Bureau, as based on documented research and recent findings. Further, this session will cover reports on the planetary protection implementation and status of launched, ongoing and planned missions. Focus will be placed on techniques, measures and procedures applied to spacecrafts, payloads and ground facilities to implement forward and backward planetary protection. The session will also include discussions on lessons learnt from implementing planetary protection guidelines throughout mission and industrial organisations. Finally, this session will include reports on planetary protection research and development activities of all kinds, particularly those involving challenging scientific endeavors, such as life detection and contamination testing. We will encourage presentations of research on new approaches in planetary protection as they apply to both robotic and human missions.

PSD.1 Technical Advances in Precision Orbit and Attitude Determination

The recent paradigm shift in space technology toward miniaturized sensors, smaller spacecraft, and more affordable launches is opening an unprecedented level of accessibility to data collection from space-based platforms. The technology sector has realized the concept of operating numerous small satellites with different payloads for spatially and temporally dense in situ data collection and for operational purposes. Information from these platforms is becoming increasingly reliable and relevant not only to the scientific community but also to the public.

Integrity of these space-borne measurements, however, is not warranted without knowledge on geolocation and orientation of satellite platforms. With the size of satellites decreasing, maintaining stability of small platforms becomes more challenging and, thus, knowing precise orbit and attitude becomes more important.

This session welcomes presentations discussing technical advances in precision orbit and attitude determination, particularly for small or nano satellites, as well as scientific results from the small satellites.