At the COSPAR Secretariat, we’ve packed our bags for the upcoming 44th COSPAR Scientific Assembly, in Athens, Greece. Not long now.
List of items to take:
-Awards √ 
-Hotel & Assembly venue address √
–Assembly app √
-Greek phrase book √
-Sunscreen lotion—it’s going to be hot 🙂 √
Sunday 17 July is a big day: we’re particularly looking forward to the Space Agency Roundtable at 16.30. What better way than “from the horse’s mouth” to find out what major agencies are focussing on, and what lies ahead? Everyone has confirmed their attendance (one thing less to worry about) & we eagerly await the discussion with ASI, CNES, ESA, HSC, ISAS/JAXA, ISRO, KARI, NASA and NSSC. The Latest Results session, at 14.30, just before the Roundtable, promises to be equally exciting.
At the time of writing our program includes the physicist & Nobel laureate Samuel CC Ting (MIT/CERN) with new & unexpected results from the Alpha Magnetic Spectro-meter on the International Space Station, Katarina Brinkert (Warwick University, UK) will summarise recent advances in (Photo-) electrochemical Hydrogen and Oxygen Production for Space Exploration, Anny Cazenave (CNES-LEGOS) reporting on contemporary sea level change, and Niklas Hedman (UN-OOSA) on the latest planetary protection policy updates.
And the Opening and Awards Ceremony is always a highlight, where the work & dedication of amazing researchers, nominated by their peers, is recognised. It’s especially exciting for our early career Associates with the Outstanding Paper Award for Young Scientists. This time we’ve been able to send out the news on social media & share their success more widely—we hope.
Looking forward to seeing you there! And to hearing from you during this Scientific Assembly under the Athenian sun—please share your photos and highlights & we’ll do our best to include them.