Cospar's international space conference to take off in Busan Saturday

The 45th Cospar Scientific Assembly will be held in Busan, bringing together 3,000 space scientists from 60 countries to discuss developments and cooperation.

A poster promoting the 45th General Assembly led by the Committee on Space Research that kicks off in Busan on Saturday [KOREA AEROSPACE ADMINISTRATION]

An international space conference led by the Committee on Space Research (Cospar) kicks off in Busan on Saturday, bringing together space scholars like Nobel laureate Samuel Ting and Meenkashi Wadhwa, head of the Mars sample collection mission for the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

A total of 3,000 space scientists from 60 countries are expected to flock to Bexco, the southeastern city’s biggest convention center, for the 45th Cospar Scientific Assembly, which runs until July 21.

National space agencies including the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) will send representatives to discuss space development strategies and policies to foster international cooperation.

The conference will feature presentations on the current status and plans of space science from major spacefaring nations, as well as reports on recent space missions such as Korea’s first lunar orbiter, Danuri.

A talk concert on lunar orbits will feature esteemed speakers such as Ting, a physicist, and Wadhwa, a planetary scientist, as well as astronomer Sim Chae-kyung of the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI).

Moreover, exhibitions will be held by major research institutions, including KASI, the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, NASA and Korea Aerospace Industries, along with domestic space companies such as Contec and Innospace.

“The fact that the world’s largest space conference is being held in Korea signifies the heightened status of Korea’s space industry,” said KASA administrator Yoon Young-bin in a statement. “We will use this opportunity to promote the newly established KASA and actively participate in forging a space cooperation network to lead space activities.”

Park Jong-wook, KASI’s senior researcher and head of the organizing committee for the event, remarked that the conference will be “a chance to promote the level of Korea’s space science,” such as the successful launch of Danuri in 2022.

It marks the first time for Korea to become the venue for the Cospar General Assembly, which is held biennially. The previous event was held in Athens, Greece, in 2022, and the next one will be held in Florence, Italy, in 2026.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]