Established by ICSU (International Council of Scientific Unions), now the International Science Council (ISC), in Oct 1958 to continue the cooperative programmes of rocket/satellite research successfully undertaken during the International Geophys. Year of 1957-58. The ICSU resolution creating COSPAR stated that its primary purpose was to “provide the world scientific community with the means whereby it may exploit the possibilities of satellites and space probes of all kinds for scientific purposes, and exchange the resulting data on a cooperative basis". Accordingly, COSPAR is an interdisciplinary scientific organization concerned with the promotion and progress, on an international scale, of all kinds of scientific research carried out with space vehicles, rockets and balloons.
COSPAR's objectives are carried out by the international community of scientists working through ISC and its adhering National Academies and International Scientific Unions. Operating under the rules of ISC, COSPAR considers all questions solely from the scientific viewpoint and takes no account of political considerations.
The principal asset of COSPAR is the world-wide space science knowledge-base and its application for world-wide benefit – same as any of the 'ICSU family' of organisations
Countries are members of COSPAR, not people. Currently this includes 43 countries, encompassing all space major faring nations. Each country is represented by a Member Institute (in the case of the UK this has been the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory since 2003; prior to that it was the Royal Society).
COSPAR is focused on space research and its applications. The COSPAR HQ is in France. The activities are focused on the following:
- Scientific Assemblies are held every two years. These are major international scientific assemblies attended by many thousands of people from around the world, which include a broad programme covering the disciplines covered by the COSPAR Scientific Commissions and Panels – i.e. all scientific areas of relevance to space science. These are major assemblies in the international science calendar.
- Scientific Commissions for the scientific backbone of COSPAR. There are currently eight SCs that cover the scientific disciplines of space science. The scientific programme of the Assemblies is very much built around the structure of the SCs. The SCs effectively provide an overview of the state of world-wide research in their disciplines – indeed, they used to report on this, biannually, to the UN. Different SCs include case by case activities that include roadmaps and standards (such as international reference atmospheres).
- COSPAR Panels cover specific key areas that require international action or consideration. There are currently ten panels covering issues such as planetary protection, space weather, capacity building and radiation belt modelling. These are usually areas where scientific knowledge is applied to particular problems and in some cases they drive the 'legal' monitoring of space-related activities and required international standards. As with the SC activities, the Panels can also be involved in key roadmapping activities.
- COSPAR Symposia complement the Scientific Assemblies, organized in even numbered years and generally held in countries with small to medium-size space infrastructures, stressing interdisciplinarity with a focus on capacity building. Each Symposium tackles a specific key topic.
- COSPAR also regularly co-sponsors meetings around the world.
- COSPAR Publications include the in-house scientific journals Advances in Space Research and Life Science in Space Research (see https://cosparhq.cnes.fr/publications) and the COSPAR Bulletin Space Research Today.
What happens in the UK?
To the 'grass roots' scientist, COSPAR is a body responsible for arranging and sponsoring meetings, from the large scientific assemblies and symposia to specialist meetings of interest, and for the production of some professional publications. However, through its comprehensive set of Scientific Commissions and specialist Panels, COSPAR provides oversight of key topical areas on a global scale and monitors the development of key internationally impacting topics ranging from planetary protection and space weather strategy to the development and publication of international reference atmospheres and the study of space debris management.
On a more formal note, the UK is a member of COSPAR and the member institution representing the UK is the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL). RAL is responsible for promoting COSPAR in the UK, through the provision of information (such as this website), is charged with running a UK national committee, and oversees the UK subscription to COSPAR. The national committee has the task of dealing with COSPAR-related matters from nominations for COSPAR awards and matters relating to the Scientific Assemblies through to participation in panel and Scientific Commission activities.
The UK National Committee includes the following individuals, who are members of the committee because of their involvement with COSPAR SC or Panel activities (except for two members, one of whom represents the UK Space Agency and one of which represents SCOSTEP). The Committee includes an Executive Chair (located at the National Institute) and a National Delegate:
- Prof Richard Harrison (RAL, Exec Chair)
- Prof Manuel Grande (Aberystwyth, National Delegate)
- Dr Diego Altamirano (Southampton)
- Prof Ian Crawford (Birkbeck/UCL)
- Prof Richard Crowther (UKSA)
- Dr Jadunanda Dash (Southampton)
- Dr Leigh Fletcher (Leicester)
- Prof Mark Lester (Leicester)
- Prof Louise Harra (MSSL/UCL)
- Dr Chris Lee (UKSA)
- Prof Zhenhong Li (Newcastle)
- Dr Adam Masters (Imperial College London)
- Dr Colin Wilson (Oxford)
To contact the National Committee please e-mail Professor Richard Harrison
How to get involved in COSPAR Activities?
COSPAR encourages the widest possible involvement in its scientific activities by the organisation of formal business meetings, held during each Assembly, separate from the Scientific Meetings. The business meetings of the Scientific Commissions and sub-Commissions are well advertised and allow for a full range of discussion on topics arising from the ongoing Assembly. These business meetings also provide the opportunity to promote ideas for topical meetings as candidates for inclusion within the Scientific Programme of the next COSPAR Meeting.
These business meetings provide the opportunity for relatively young scientists to actively promote their ideas for topical meetings within the next COSPAR Assembly. They also provide an invaluable opportunity to gain considerable expertise and kudos through taking on the very important roles of Main Scientific Organiser, Deputy Scientific Organiser, Editor or member of the Programme Committee set up for each and every Scientific Meeting to be held within the forthcoming Scientific Assembly of COSPAR.
The duration of tenure of elected officials of the COSPAR Scientific Commissions and sub-Commissions is four years. There is an opportunity to take a direct part in the planning and organisation of the COSPAR activities through being nominated as a candidate for election as one of the Officers of the Commission or sub-Commission. These elections are held exclusively during the business meetings of the respective Commission or sub-commission.
How do I get my Meeting adopted?
If you have a concept for an exciting and timely meeting, contact one or more of the chairs or vice-chairs of the appropriate Scientific Commission well before the start of the next COSPAR Assembly, allowing time for the idea to be developed and discussed. All proposed meetings should then be discussed and endorsed at the business meetings of the appropriate Scientific Commission at the Scientific Assembly. The entire proposed scientific programme of each Commission is then examined in some detail by the COSPAR Bureau, and then during the closing meeting of COSPAR Council. The entire process takes 4 days (maximum).
As noted above, COSPAR will sponsor scientific meetings. This adds a significant degree of international recognition to a prospective meeting on an exciting and timely subject, with the further advantage that publications can be expedited through the Advances in Space Research of Life Sciences in Space Research journals, fully refereed and published with the aid of the COSPAR mechanism.
