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.