The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), in partnership with the Italian Space Agency (ASI), are co-organising the “Space Technology for Socio-Economic Benefits” workshop. This event will be held at the Milano Convention Centre in Milan, Italy, between 11 – 13 October 2024.
The workshop aims to gather individuals from government bodies, space agencies, research institutes, academia, and non-governmental organisations who are involved in space activities and are dedicated to ensuring their sustainability. The goal is to maintain the benefits of space activities for future generations. In addition, participants interested in forming partnerships, particularly those focused on raising awareness about space environment sustainability initiatives or engaging in capacity-building activities to reduce the space industry’s impact on Earth’s environment, are highly encouraged to join.
Furthermore, the workshop will offer a platform to discuss sustainable capacity-building, explore innovative technologies and approaches to mitigate the space industry’s contribution to the climate crisis and enhance awareness of technical methods for improving the long-term sustainability of outer space activities. Participants will also have the opportunity to share and learn about existing technical solutions that ensure the continued benefits of space activities across various applications. The main objectives of the Workshop are to:
- Raise awareness of the various initiatives to measure and predict the impact of space activities (spacecraft manufacturing, launch and re-entry) on the Earth’s environment;
- Showcase changes in space engineering practices to reduce the carbon footprint of the space sector overall, with technical innovations for greener technologies, financing of innovations and regulatory incentives for their adoption;
- Capacity-building activities on space sustainability, especially from the perspective of new space-faring countries and non-space-faring countries keen to adopt best practices and preserve the sustainability of the space environment;
- Share challenges and success stories to de-orbit spacecraft responsibly, such as technical de-orbiting methods and tools, to discuss what methods are the most effective;
- Showcase success stories of technical coordination for space activities that have been impacting each other, such as astronomical observations and satellite operations, or activities of various nature on the surface of the Moon and Mars; and
- Share information on innovative space-based applications and services contributing to environmental sustainability on Earth.
Presentations made during the Workshop will be published on the Office for Outer Space Affairs’ website, while the report and its recommendations will be distributed to the participants and to the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
Selection Process
- Speakers are selected via a call for abstracts; and
- Speakers and attendees will be selected up to the room’s maximum capacity based on relevant professional or academic experience.
The workshop programme includes four types of formats:
- Keynote presentations given by invited speakers;
- Sessions during which presenters will make presentations followed by questions from the audience;
- Panels: roundtables during which speakers can make short introductory statements, followed by a moderated panel discussion and questions from the audience; and
- Networking opportunities.
The first draft programme will be published in September 2024.
Call for Abstract
The call for abstracts is now available here.
Timeline
- Abstract submission deadline: 9 June 2024;
- Selected speakers will be informed by the end of June 2024;
- Deadline for registration as self-funded attendee: 20 June 2024; and
- Selected attendees will be informed by the end of July 2024.
For additional information on the Workshop programme, please contact UNOOSA at unoosa-events@un.org.
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