The 45th Scientific Assembly of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), the world's largest academic conference on astronomy, will run from July 13-21 in the nation's largest port city of Busan. (COSPAR's official Facebook account)
By Park Hyeri
Busan next month will host the 45th Scientific Assembly of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), the world's largest academic conference on astronomy.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) on June 24 said the event will run from July 13-21 at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center, aka BEXCO, with some 3,000 astronomers from about 60 countries to attend.
Launched in 1958, COSPAR is an international organization under the International Council for Science to promote a wide range of activities and support international cooperation in space science research. This is the first time for Korea to host the biennial assembly.
At the meeting, global space development organizations including KASA, NASA of the U.S. and the European Space Agency will discuss the direction of space development and global collaboration.
Programs will include presentations on the status and plans for research and development in space science by major space powers such as Korea and the U.S., as well as announcements of the results of recent space missions like that of Korea's first lunar orbiter Danuri.
Also scheduled are public lectures on modern physics by Nobel laureate Samuel Chao Chung Ting, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Meenakshi Wadhwa, principal scientist for NASA's Mars Sample Return.
Exhibitions will be held by major domestic and international think tanks and space companies including the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Korea Aerospace Research Institute, NASA and Korea Aerospace Industries, as well as small and medium Korean space companies like Contec and Innospace.
"Korea's status in the space sector has grown to the extent that it will host the world's largest international academic conference in astronomy," KASA Administrator Yoon Young-bin said. "This event will serve as an opportunity for us to aggressively participate in the international network for space cooperation and lead global cooperation activities."
Florence, Italy, will host the next COSPAR gathering in 2026.
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