Leaders from NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), along with astronauts and leading companies in the sector will come to Nicosia for the 6th World Space Symposium of COSPAR (the Committee on Space Research) on November 3-7.
The Symposium is organised by the Cyprus Space Exploration Organization (CSEO) in collaboration with COSPAR, the international body for the promotion of scientific cooperation in space.
CSEO President George Danos told CNA that this is the most important world space research conference for 2025, a landmark event that brings Cyprus to the centre of the global space community.
‘Strategic meeting of global space ecosystem’
The Symposium will feature leaders from all major space agencies, including NASA (USA), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan), CNES (France), DLR (Germany), ASI (Italy), ISRO (India), as well as representatives from leading aerospace companies, such as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.
The COSPAR 2025 Symposium has attracted the interest of the global scientific community, with delegates coming from more than 45 countries.
“This makes Nicosia the global meeting point for space research in 2025,” Danos said.
More than 90 institutions will be represented, constituting the elite of global space research and industry, as well as top academic institutions and a strong private sector presence, said Danos.
"This demonstrates that COSPAR 2025 is not just a conference, but a strategic meeting of the entire global space ecosystem, which will take place in Cyprus,” said the CSEO head.
Major discoveries to be announced
Important scientific discoveries will be announced by the International Space Innovation Centre (C-SpaRC), a National Strategic Infrastructure of Cyprus, selected to become an international centre by COSPAR in June 2024. The centre is coordinated by CSEO, funded by the Research and Innovation Foundation, and boasts partners such as NASA and Lockheed Martin.
In a special presentation, C-SpaRC is due to announce important scientific discoveries that connect human health on Earth with space phenomena.
C-SpaRC is one of only two COSPAR Centres of Excellence worldwide, placing Cyprus at the core of global space innovation, said Danos.
The Symposium will also focus on critical issues such as sustainability in space, planetary protection and the use of space technologies to solve problems on Earth.
One of the highlights will be the presentation of COSPAR’s new “Roadmap for Space Exploration”, a strategic document that will set the priorities for global space exploration for the next decade.
International agreements are expected to be signed that will further strengthen international cooperation, especially on space weather issues, at a time of heightened solar activity.
Cyprus is also hosting COSPAR’s first global innovation competition, NovaSpaRC, which actively supports startups in Cyprus and internationally.
Space festival open to public
For the benefit of the public, Danos said CSEO is organising the ‘Space Science Festival’ on Thursday, November 6, at 7pm in Nicosia, at the CSEO Outreach Centre.
The event will be open to the public, giving families, young people and all citizens the opportunity to meet astronauts, see space exhibits up close and talk to the scientists who are shaping the future of humanity in space, he added.
Source: CNA