COSPAR Strategic Action Plan 2019 - 2023

History

COSPAR was born just after the launch of Sputnik-1 and its Scientific Assemblies soon became the cradle from which the space research community developed and gave rise to many international projects from which we continue to benefit. Today, there are even more promising opportunities for COSPAR to be of service to space scientists worldwide. We are living in an era when the capabilities to pursue scientific space research are spreading throughout the world. Opportunities abound to cooperate, to maximize resources, to pursue ever more complex and challenging projects, to spread the development of technology to all nations, and to employ the contributions of all their talents to exploit the wealth of data that national and international missions have delivered.

COSPAR has an important role to play in the future stability of the world, and should approach its mission understanding that by its actions and its successes, a better world can result. COSPAR is not only essential to the pursuit of international space research, with all the benefits resulting therefrom, but also COSPAR can and should be the bridge by which the nations of the world come to understand that cooperation not competition is essential to the future of humanity.

Principles

The Principles that COSPAR adheres to in pursuit of its Mission are:

  • COSPAR promotes scientific research in space at an international level, with emphasis on the exchange of results, information, and opinions, and provides a forum, open to all scientists.
  • COSPAR endeavors to ensure that a vibrant international space research effort can be conducted without impediment from geopolitical tensions or differences.
  • COSPAR requires that presentations at its meetings and publications in its journals are the result of scientific research that was conducted with the highest ethical standards.
  • COSPAR discloses any financial support that might be perceived as influencing its activities or positions it might advocate.
  • COSPAR promotes diversity and gender equality in all of its activities, and will not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment.
  • COSPAR encourages meaningful roles in all activities for younger scientists, who are the future of international space research.

Mission

The Mission of COSPAR is to assemble a worldwide community of scientists who are dedicated to international cooperation in space research and who through COSPAR will:

• Share the results of their research and build bonds and encourage collaborations with scientists from around the world, and by doing so enhance their own career development.

•Participate in exerting influence on the conduct of space research, communicating to the public the exciting results from space research, and extending the benefits of space research to society.

• Engage with and benefit from the interaction with science-based global industry who are interested in the application of scientific discovery to real world challenges and opportunities.

•Support engagement with the UN Office of Outer Space Affairs on projects of mutual interest such as planetary protection, space weather, and space debris.

•Support efforts to enable space programs under development to reach their full potential, thereby spreading the benefits of space research to all nations.

• Support the developed space programs through opportunities for direct interactions with space agency leaders, essential guidance on planetary protection requirements, and advice on future missions.

COSPAR Strategic Plan 2019-2023

Beginning in the Fall of 2018 COSPAR undertook a thorough examination of how best to accomplish its Mission on behalf of its constituents and stakeholders. The Strategic Action Plan, which resulted from this examination, directs a series of actions by the leaders and volunteers of COSPAR that will in fact and in perception establish COSPAR’s unique importance for each of its constituents and stakeholders. The Plan contains detailed actions for each constituent and stakeholder, all of which are in compliance with the Principles of COSPAR.

Download COSPAR’s Strategic Plan Actions

Scientists from all nations are encouraged to join with COSPAR in pursuit of our Mission, adhering to our Principles, and engaging with us in the important task of striving to maintain space as a peaceful domain where cooperation is encouraged, competition is discouraged, and conflict is avoided.

COSPAR has a Plan to achieve our Mission, described in the download above. Please join with us so that together we can pursue the exploration and use of space in peace for enlightenment from scientific knowledge and for the essential benefits available for the economic and societal wellbeing of all humanity.